


Graduation Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses

by Major_Fortune



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Caleb thinks she's out of his league, Christmas, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff and Smut, Hair-pulling, Jester has a thing for nerdy guys, Jester is not subtle, Jester/Beau if you squint, Marking, Mistletoe, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Praise Kink, Romance, Study Date, Tutoring, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Widojest - Freeform, background beau/yasha, obvious flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:47:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21927703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Major_Fortune/pseuds/Major_Fortune
Summary: With the end of the semester coming, Jester Lavorre should be worried about Christmas plans, instead she's panicking about failing Art History... again. Fortunately, her roommate knows just the right guy to help her pass.Caleb Widogast just needed an easy tutoring gig to help pay his rent. He never expected his new student to steal his heart.Together, Jester and Caleb learn about Art History, flirting and how to bring a little more love into each-other's Christmas.(Warning, this fic gets both steamier and more Christmasy as the chapters go. Rated Explicit for sexual content in the last few chapters. First chapters are T/M for mature language and references to sexual themes. )
Relationships: Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 89
Kudos: 300





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Was going to wait until this one was complete before posting it but Christmas came sooner than I expected! Anyway, expect quick updates since it's a Christmas fic and tomorrow it's C.E. already.  
> Warning, this fic gets both steamier and more Christmasy as the chapters go. Rated Explicit for sexual content in the last few chapters. First chapters are T/M for mature language, mild references to mental illness and self harm and conversations involving sexual themes.  
> Also, I never had Art History so forgive me for any inaccuracies. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are always apreciated, Merry Christmas! xoxo

Caleb Widogast did not like meeting new people.

He had a small group of individuals in his life he knew he could trust and that was enough for him. To allow anyone else inside that small circle was far too risky to be worth it and to spend his time with people he did not trust...well, that was just something he did not do, unless there was no other choice.

Yes, he knew he had issues, the kind that sprout from childhood trauma and evolve into full on disorders as you grow. The kind that make you always wear long sleeves and start hyper ventilating when you’re invited to a frat party and realize they’re making an bonfire in the back yard. The kind he refused to talk about, even with a therapist.

Not that he could even afford one if he wanted to. Hence why he was spending his afternoon at the campus coffee shop, tutoring some random girl, who was already late, instead of hiding in his room with a good book, like he had originally planned. His book addiction was not a cheap one to maintain and Caleb -who prided himself on being a great many things - was, above all, a broke post-grad student.

If he was being honest, on the scale of all the awful part-time gigs he did to get by, besides being a TA, tutoring was not that bad. Yes, he had to talk to new people and some of them were infuriatingly dull, but he could power through it if he kept the conversation solely on the topics being studied and did as little eye contact as possible.

Besides, this time he wasn’t tutoring as complete stranger, she was more like a friend of a friend, even if Caleb had never met her. Beau, his friend and fellow History post-grad student was sharing an apartment with an undergrad from Nicodranas. The girl was an Art major, but she had a mandatory Art History class she was having trouble in. Usually, Beau would have helped her, but she had just started a new part-time job as a personal trainer and, between that and her school work, barely had time to sleep anymore. So she sent her to Caleb, who always seemed to have time and never have money.

“Jester’s great, you’ll love her!” She had told him the day before, gobbling down a greasy BLT as they walked to class. “She told me she’ll pay you double if you can get her to pass the exam. She’s good for it too, her mom is, like, super rich.”

Caleb wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck, protecting himself against the Winter winds. “What if I can’t do that? Art History isn’t exactly my speciality.”

“It’s not mine either, but it’s a 101 class, you’ll be fine.”

“You’re making this gig sound too good to be true. What’s the catch, Beauregard?” He frowned.

She bit her lip, looking around like it was the first time she had ever seen their campus and wanted to analyze every detail of it that wasn’t Caleb’s suspicious stare. “Nothing I... Look, like I told you, she’s amazing. She’s, like, my best friend, alright? But she can be a little hard to teach... She’s super smart but she loses interest in things very fast and gets distracted really easily. And then she tries to distract you too, which is fun but not productive...” She smiled fondly, remembering something. Then shook her head, snapping herself out of it. “She should have had this done freshman year but she got bored and stopped going to class.”

Caleb rubbed a gloved hand across his face, already frustrated in advance.

“ _Sheisse..._ Do I still get payed if she doesn’t pass?” Beau nodded. “Alright, I’ll take it. I’m late on rent...”

She had given him her roommate’s phone number and they had scheduled to meet at 3 o’clock at Pumat Sol’s, the campus coffee shop. Except it was now 3:34 and she had not arrived yet. At least he didn’t think she had, he had no idea what she looked like. When he asked Beau she had just smirked and said, “You’ll know when you see her. She’s hard to miss.”

So now he could do noting but sit there, his cup of coffee already empty, looking out into the street for a girl he didn’t know. He tried texting her but got no answer, he would have called but... no, Caleb did not call people, specially not strangers. He had half a mind to leave, but he needed the money too much to risk it. So he waited, impatiently.

He was about to get up to buy another overpriced drink when the coffee shop’s front door swung open and a girl rushed in, carrying two large shopping bags. Beau was right, with her wild wavy cobalt blue dyed hair and colourful clothes, Jester Lavorre really was impossible to miss. She looked around, her doe eyes bright and, when she spotted him, a large smile spread across her face.

“Cayleb?” She asked as she approached his table. She had an accent thick enough to rival his and it made his name sound foreign even to him. “You’re Cayleb, right?”

“Hmmm... _Ja_. Have a seat, Miss Lavorre.” He stuttered, moving his papers out of the way to make room for her things.

She grinned down at him and Caleb was stunned. From afar, Jester Lavorre was captivating, but up close she was absolutely breath taking. She had a delicate round face, with high cheekbones covered in a light spray of freckles that stretched over the bridge of her button nose and full, heart shaped lips that spread into the most enticing of smiles.

“You can call me Jester. Or Jessie, that’s what Beau calls me.” She put her bags down and took off her coat. “I’m freezing! Let me grab a drink before we start. Can I get you anything?”

It took Caleb a little longer than normal to manage to string a coherent sentence together. “ _Nein, nein_ , I’ll get my own, Miss... Jester.” 

“Don’t be silly! You’re here because of me, I’m paying!” She put a gloved hand on Caleb’s shoulders to keep him seated and he felt his entire body lock up. _Oh_ , he was in trouble... “What do you drink? Coffee?”

“ _Ja_... black, no sugar.” He muttered.

She wrinkled her nose at his request but then shrugged and made her way to the counter, a little spring in her step. Caleb couldn’t help but watch her go, his eyes following the curves of her hips and thighs. She leaned over the counter as she made her order, her pink sweater dress rising up to show a stripe of creamy skin peaking above her rainbow stripped thigh-high socks.

Caleb swiveled around in his chair, forcing his eyes back to his papers. He had no idea what had come over him. Yes, she was _very_ attractive, but that was not why he had come to this coffee shop. He needed to stay professional, _gottverdammt_! He needed this money way too much to let his suddenly overactive hormones get in the way.  
He didn’t allow himself to stop looking at the papers until she returned, and she took quite a while. The last time he’d allowed himself to look, she was talking to the barista, a good looking dark haired guy with a heavy southern accent and a scar on his cheek. Caleb wasn’t a betting man but he would put his last five dollars down on the two of them being currently flirting. It was just what attractive people did when they met. Caleb had no personal experience with the phenomenon but he’d seen it happen enough times with Beau, whenever she convinced him to go to a bar after class. She always ended up leaving early with some girl, he always returned home alone. And now he got the pleasure of watching her very pretty roommate go home with the barista. He should probably start packing his things already...

Just then, she returned, cradling their drinks against her chest, her tiny hands covered by fingerless gloves that matched her rainbow socks. She had gotten herself a cup of hot chocolate, covered in whip cream and sprinkled with an exaggerated amount of marshmallows.

“Sooo... something’s been bothering me.” She told him as she sat down.

“What?” He asked, taking a sip of his drink, waiting for her to come up with some excuse for why they had to reschedule so she could leave with the barista.

“It’s really sad, actually...” She said instead, with a dramatic sigh. “That you’ve never tasted sugar and don’t even know what you’re missing out on!”

Caleb couldn’t stop the snort of laughter that left his lips. “I _have_ tasted it before, I just prefer my coffee without it. Coffee is meant to be bitter.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “What about foods that are meant to be sweet? Do you like them?” Her indigo blue eyes widened. “Please don’t tell me you don’t like pastries!”

He smiled, just a little. “I do like pastries.”

“Awesome!” She said, reaching for something. “Because I got one of their giant chocolate chip cookies for us to share while we study!”

She put the cookie on the table between them and Caleb just stared, words evading him. Not only was she gorgeous, but she was also clearly one of the nicest people on campus and he was an insecure idiot, making stuff up in his head. He needed to change the subject before he made a fool of himself.

“We should start working now, _ja_?”

“Oh yeah... Art History and stuff...” She mumbled, gathering her books.

“You don’t seem eager to start studying.”

“Technically, I’m not, technically...” She sighed. “I hate this stupid class. I just want to paint what I love, you know? What some old dude painted before doesn’t really matter much to me.”

“I understand, but you need it to graduate, right? And we’re running out of time... It’s 4 o’clock already.” He stated, not even bothering to look at his watch.

“Yeah... I’m sorry I arrived so late. A new art supply store opened on Main Street and I just wanted to take a peek... but I lost track of time and bought like half the store. I have, as Beau puts it, very poor impulse control.” Caleb understood, he could get lost in a bookstore, just sitting on the floor between the stacks, reading as much as he could. “If she had told me you were hot I would have probably arrived sooner, though.”

Caleb almost choked on his coffee. Did he hear that right? Had she really just called him hot?

“Excuse me?” He said.

She smirked. “Oh, come on, you know you’re hot! You’ve got that whole sexy intellectual thing going on. I bet you’re the TA all the History freshman want to bang.” She bit her lip. Caleb felt himself blush from head to toe. “And the accent? Big turn on! Is that Zemnian?”

Oh, he was in _serious_ trouble.

“ _Ja_...” He cleared his throat. “You’re stalling, aren’t you?”

“Yeah...” She said, her darkened eyes still taking him in hungrily. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

He inhaled sharply and ran a hand through his hair, trying to gather his thoughts. “Can we start now?”

Somehow, she agreed and they managed to get through part of her syllabus. She was surprisingly bright but had trouble remembering things she did not care for. Caleb soon found word association games helped with her memory, specially if they involved inappropriate words. Jester could find a million ways to associate the words _dick_ and _boobs_ to any painter, no matter the style or time period.

But, as Beau had told him, she was also, in fact, _very distracting_ , even when she wasn’t trying. It was hard for him to stay on topic when she kept staring him down with those large eyes, pen hanging off her full, glossy lips, making him question if she was even paying attention or just trying to drive him mad. Or when she leaned forward to point something out that was confusing her, blue hair twirled around a delicate finger, and her oversized dress hanging down just enough to show the impressive expanse of her cleavage. Or when they both reached out to grab a piece of the cookie and their hands touched and she just _smiled_ at him.

“I think that’s all on the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. We should probably wrap it up for today, it’s getting late.” He said after she took a sip of her hot chocolate and he almost reached out to wipe the whip cream from her top lip. She quickly licked it off, her small pink tongue darting out in a way that filled him with _want._

She grabbed her phone and her eyes widened when she saw the time. It was 8:45, Caleb just knew it. “Fuck, it’s super late! I was going to ask Beau to give me a ride, but she’s probably already home by now...” She groaned. “I blame you and your sexy accent, making me lose track of time!”

Caleb rolled his eyes. “That’s not exactly fair, I can’t change my accent... I mean, I could try, but it would be horrendous.”

“Don’t you dare! The accent is half the reason any of this is sticking in my brain at all.” She said.

“What’s the other half?” He asked, unusually emboldened by her flirting.

She started to speak and then bit her lip and shook her head, her curls bouncing round her. “The dirty words, duh!”

“Of course.” He answered, a little disappointed, but what did he expect? He was reading too much into her playful compliments. Just because she liked his accent didn’t mean she was into him, right? “Jester, if you don’t want to walk home alone in the dark, I could accompany you...”

“Really?” She asked, putting her coat back on. “I don’t want to take up more of your time...

“I have nothing else planned for this evening, you can waste away.” She smiled at that and a warm, wonderful feeling filled his chest. “Plus, I would feel better knowing you got home safely.”

“I’m a big girl, Cayleb. I can handle myself, you know?” She smirked, flexing her surprisingly defined arms. He didn’t doubt it for a second, she would destroy him in a fight. “But the company would be nice.”

“Good, because I’m honestly better at keeping company than fighting off assailants.”

She giggled, wiggling her eyebrows. “Don’t worry Cayleb, I’ll keep _you_ safe.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas Everyone!   
> I'm giving you the gift of sexy fluff, enjoy!   
> Kudos and Comments are always appreciated xoxo

They packed their things and left, Jester bundled up in a ridiculous furry pink jacket, Caleb in his sensible wool lined brown coat. They were less than a block away from the coffee shop when it started to rain, a sudden, wind blown downpour that soaked through their clothes faster then they could find shelter.

Caleb cursed loudly in Zemnian, as they rushed under a clothing store’s colorful awning. He knew he should have brought an umbrella, but he had left his at the library last Wednesday and, by the time he noticed and returned for it, someone else had already taken it home. 

“Wait, I think I have one of those tiny foldable umbrellas in my bag somewhere...” Jester yelled out over the noise of the pouring rain. Her furry jacket was dripping, hanging limply like a pink sewer rat, but she was still smiling widely, almost giddy. Caleb felt the cold seep through the wet fabric of his clothing and he knew he should be miserable, but her energy seemed to keep the sadness away, it was contagious. “God, I love rainstorms! Don’t you?”

“Not particularly...” He said, trying to push his wet hair away from his face. “Aren’t you cold?”

“Yeah, but that’s okay.” She moved to his side and pointed into the distance. “Look at the way the puddles reflect the street lights and the Christmas decorations! They’re like mirrors, like portals to another magical world, where everything is hazy and dreamy and you can only see it the rain. I want to paint it all!” She squealed.

“You should. For people like me, who can’t see it.” He smiled, looking down at her extactic face. “People without magical eyes.”

“Everyone has magical eyes,” She reached out on the tips of her toes and covered his eyes with her hands. “you just need to want to see.” When she opened her hands, she was much closer to his face, close enough for him to smell the chocolate on her breath. Then she leaned in and kissed his cheek, her lips cold but incredibly soft against his skin.

_Gottverdammt_ , he really wanted to kiss her! After years of almost zero physical contact and even less cravings for it, it was like his entire body had just woken up with her touch. He wanted to kiss her more than he wanted a warm drink or a dry set of clothes. He wanted to kiss her right there, sopping wet and all. In fact, he wanted to be that stupid idiot in the movies who stood in the rain, kissing a girl because she felt so good against him he could hardly feel the cold anymore.

But then she stepped back, returning to her regular height, and Caleb forced himself to snap out of whatever spell she had put him under. He was being payed to tutor her, not to reenact cheesy movie scenes. Or worse, to be rejected and humiliate himself in the middle of the street.

“What was that for?” He asked her.

“For wanting to see. Most people call me crazy when I say things like that...” She said. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose had turned pink and he couldn’t tell if it was from the kiss or the cold.

“Most people are boring and jealous. You should tell them to go fuck themselves.” Jester started to giggle. “What?” He asked, confused.

“Nothing!” She laughed, shaking her head. “I just never expected you to curse, you looked so formal and grown up when I first saw you!” She stuck her tongue out like she didn’t consider being mature a good thing. Caleb felt heat rise to his cheeks, people always commented on how serious he was, even as a child. “I guess you’re just full of surprises, Cayleb Widogast!”

“Hmm... I actually curse quite a lot, it’s a bad habit...” He rubbed the back of his neck and his fingers came away wet from his dripping hair.

“Me too! At least that’s what my Mama says. Beau never complains about it, but she curses almost as much as me.” She resumed her search for the umbrella, sticking her arm all the way up to the elbow inside her bag. “Can you teach me how to curse in Zemnian?”

“Sure! So, ‘fuck you’ would be... _Fick dich!”_

_“F-fiiiick diiish?”_ She said, frowning slightly. “It sounds better when you say it.” Then she grinned, large and dangerous, almost cat-like. “What about ‘fuck me’?”

Caleb choked, bending over in a coughing fit. “You can’t be serious!”

“As a heart attack! Come on, it’s a useful expression to know!” She said with another of her adorable eyebrow wiggles. 

“This is not really what you’re paying me to teach you...” He muttered awkwardly.

She reached out and took his hand, lacing her small fingers with his. “Please?”

How was he suppose to resist that? The smile, the doe eyes, the way he could now feel his heartbeat in his palm where it met hers? He was putty in her hands.

“Alright...it’s _fick mich...”_ He said, hyperaware of the fact that her eyes were glued to his mouth.

She licked her bottom lip and then bit it. “Thank you, Professor Widogast!”

He felt like he was losing his mind. Was he dreaming? This couldn’t be real... She was so out of his league it wasn’t even funny and yet... the way she was looking at him, like she wanted to eat him alive... It sent shivers down his spine.

Then she turned back to her bag and pulled something out with a dramatic ‘ _ta-dah!’._ It was the umbrella, a garish yellow polka-dotted abomination.

“Found it! Let’s go?”

She pulled him back out into the storm, opening the umbrella over them. For a while, they struggled, as Jester was so much shorter than him and it made him have to bend down to remain under the umbrella. Finally, she let go of his hand and handed it over, so he could hold it at a more comfortable height. Caleb would have taken the back pain and the lack of coverage from the rain, just to have her hold his hand, but when he took the umbrella, she curled up against his side, almost hugging his waist to stay under the canopy, which was even better.

It didn’t last long, however. They got to Beau and Jester’s apartment building surprisingly fast, making small talk about college and how they had first met Beau. Caleb had been over to Beau’s a number of times to bring her homework or borrow her books, but he’d never been inside. This time, however, Jester put the code in the building’s front door keypad and, as the door buzzed open, gestured for him to follow her in.

“Oh... I don’t know if... It’s getting pretty late and you’re home now so...” He muttered lamely.

“Don’t be ridiculous! It’s still pouring and you don’t even have an umbrella! Come up, you can get dry and wait the storm out.” She said it almost like an order, leaving him no time to make up some incongruous excuse to leave, a she walked in.

He didn’t even know why he was trying to leave. If she wanted him to come up to get dry, that was incredibly nice and reasonable of her. He didn’t even know how he would get all the way across campus where he lived without an umbrella...

And if his ridiculous, hormone fueled mind, wasn’t reading too much into her words and actions and she wanted him to come up for... other reasons, then he really had to be a fool to say no.

Closing the yellow umbrella, he followed her in. The inside of the building was dark and smelled a little musty, but it was also pleasantly warm. Jester and Beau lived on the second floor and Jester practically ran up the stairs, her pink sneakers making wet sounds on the carpeted steps. She got to the door and didn’t bother to look for her keys, ringing the doorbell incessantly instead. Beau opened on the third ring, looking mildly annoyed.

“Did you lose your keys again?” She asked, holding the door open with her hip.

“No, they’re somewhere in the bottom of my bag but they take ages to find and you always open up super fast .” Jester said, giving her a tight hug, wrapping her dripping sleeves around beau’s waist.

“Stop it! You’re soaked, Jessie!” She laughed, playfully pretending to push Jester away. Then she looked over Jester’s shoulder. “Oh hey, Caleb!”

Caleb waved awkwardly. He had forgotten Jester said Beau was home. But of course she was. Jester was just being nice, he was just reading too much into it. It seemed to be the way things were between them.

“We got caught in the rain.” Jester said over her shoulder, as she pushed passed Beau and walked into the apartment. “I told him he could stay up here until the storm passes.”

“Sure.” Beau shrugged. “Come in, man. I’ll get you a towel.”

Their apartment was much larger than Caleb’s but also cozier. The front door led into a large room that was both their living room and their kitchen, decorated in soft blues and warm cream tones. There were scented candles on the coffee table and multicolored blankets and throw pillows on the couch that had clearly been bought by Jester. Caleb couldn’t even imagine Beau shopping for interior decor.

He considered sitting on the couch but he didn’t want to ruin it with his wet clothes, instead he perched himself on one of the stools by their kitchen island and took his jacket off, propping it up so it didn’t drip onto the floor. The long sleeved t-shirt he had worn underneath was equally wet, clinging to his body uncomfortably, but he couldn’t exactly take _that_ off in the middle of their kitchen. He just hoped it would dry before he caught a cold. 

Jester disappeared down the hallway, presumably going to her room. She returned soon after, without her shopping bags, and started wringing her coat over the sink, trying to drain the water out. 

“I turned the heating on so we can warm up. If you want, I can get you some dry clothes. I’m sure Beau has something that will fit you...”

“Oh, that’s alright... I’m sure the storm will be over soon anyway.” He could see through their kitchen window that the downpour had faded into a drizzle by now.

Jester gave up on the coat and left it in the sink before coming around to sit on the stool besides his.

“Are you sure? I could put your clothes in the dryer and you could stay for dinner...” She bit the glittery pink nail on her thumb, the pad of her finger rubbing over her plush bottom lip in a way that made it impossible for him not to stare. “You’re shivering, Cayleb.”

She put her other hand on Caleb’s arm, the warmth of her skin seeping through the wet fabric of his shirt. Caleb was not the best at reading other people but, for just a second, he could have sworn the ridiculously undeniable attraction he felt for her wasn’t one sided.

Before he could have any crazy ideas though, like leaning over and kissing her, Beau returned with his towel. Jester leaned back in her stool, taking her hand away and Caleb started drying off his hair with the towel, trying not avoid her gaze.

“So, how did the tutoring session go?” Beau said, sitting next to Jester.

“Suuuuper good! Cayleb is a great teacher!” Jester gushed, giving him a wink. “I’m totally going to pass, right Cayleb?”

“Hmmm... If you keep studying, I’m sure you will.” He stuttered, not being able to recover fast enough from the sheer intensity of being so close to her.

“But I get soooo bored studying by myself!” She said with a pout. “You should totally come by next week so we can study again before the test!” 

“I-I don’t know if I can make it next week, I have to grade some papers for Professor Erenis’ class...” He said and she pouted more, looking genuinely sad this time. “But you can always text me if you have questions.”

Her pout slowly bloomed into a smile. “Awesome!” She then turned to Beau. “Hey, I was telling Cayleb he could stay for dinner. We should order in. I’m thinking Chinese? Or pasta? I’m dying for some carbs!”

“Sure, I could go for some chow mein.” Beau grabbed her phone and started to dial a number. “Caleb, chow mein? Dumplings? What do you want?”

“ _Nein, nein_! I already told Jester I’m not staying...”

She jumped down from her stool and made her way around the island, running her hand slyly across his back, from shoulder to shoulder, as she walked. Caleb was already shaking from the cold, but the touch made him shiver in an entirely different way. “Come ooon, Cayleb! Pleeeease? You can quiz me after we eat, it’ll be fun! I have my Art History class tomorrow and I want to impress the teacher with my new skills!”

“Well, alright...” He agreed. “If it’s for tutoring, I guess it’s literally my job to stay...”

“Yay! You’re the best!” She gave his shoulder a little squeeze. “You two handle dinner, I’m going to change into something less... wet.”

And then, right before his eyes, in the middle of their kitchen, Jester Lavorre undressed. One minute she was letting go of his shoulder, and the next she was reaching for the hem of her sweater dress and pulling it off, until she was standing there in nothing but her rainbow socks and a hot pink lingerie set.

Caleb felt his jaw drop, as Jester nonchalantly grabbed her discarded dress and made her way into her room. He looked at Beau beside him, who was definitively staring as well, but in a decisively less obvious manner.

“I-is she always like this?” He asked in a hoarse whisper.

She nodded slowly. “Yeaaah, she’s not big on boundaries. Not that I’m complaining.”

That explained a lot. The flirty words, the touching, it was just the way she was... Jester having an overly affectionate personality made a lot more sense than a girl as beautiful as her actually being attracted to an awkward, skinny ginger. He tried not to seem disappointed, he should not have gotten his hopes up in the first place.

“Do you just... get used to that happening?”

“I’ll let you know if it ever happens.” She shook her head, smiling ruefully. “So, do you have, like, a huge crush on her now?”

“What?” He said far too loudly, making Beau laugh. He immediately lowered his voice into an awkward mumble. “Why...Why would you think that?”

“Hey, I can’t blame you, she seems to have that effect on everyone. Like, I had my buddy Fjord, from the gym, over last Sunday and he’s been asking about her ever since.” She shrugged. “No one can resist Jester.”

“Not even you?” He asked.

“What? No-I mean...” Beau stuttered, her tan skin blushing slightly. “I didn’t mean me! She’s my best friend, man!”

“Whatever you say, Lionett.” He ran a hand through his hair. It was almost dry now, falling in waves over his eyes. “ _I_ , for one, know I don’t have a crush on your best friend.” 

He didn’t know when he had started using his long hair as a security blanket. Maybe in his teenage years when he had first started to grow it out. But he’s soon discover that it was much easier to lie if people couldn’t see half his face. Not that he was lying to Beau... He was _very_ attracted to Jester, but that didn’t mean he had a c _rush,_ right?

“You’re such an idiot, Widogast...” She punch his arm lightly. It still hurt but Caleb tried his best not to flinch. “I should have known that, if anyone was going to be immune to the ‘Jester effect’ it would be you. Have you even dated anyone since we met? It’s been, like, five years man!”

“Five years where I haven’t had the time, or the will really, to go out and meet people.” He sighed.

“Yeah, you look like you haven’t even had time to sleep. No offense man, but you look like crap.” She got up from her seat and started pacing around the kitchen as she called the Chinese restaurant.

“You know it’s still offensive, even if you say that.” He called out, as she asked the person down the line for two servings of chow mein, a dozen dumplings, fried rice, and extra soy sauce. She just put a finger in front of her lips and gave him a stern look.

“I say it because I care. In fact, I care so much I’m going to give you some dry clothes to change into. Don’t even think about complaining, Widogast.” She said once the call was over. “Yasha left one of her big sweatshirts in my room, I’ll get it for you.”

“How are things between you two, anyway?” Caleb asked, trying to find any way to get out of their apartment with his shirt still on. He didn’t have time for _that_ conversation tonight.

“Complicated... you know how Yasha is. She comes and goes like the rain.” Beau called out from her own room.

“And you feel qualified to give _me_ dating advice?” He remarked.

“Hey, one complicated relationship and about a dozen random hookups in five years is better than nothing!” Beau returned with a large Zadash U hoodie and a pair of sweat pants.

“Can I change in the bathroom?” He asked shyly, scratching at his arms through his wet t-shirt.

“Duh, of course! I haven’t seen a naked man since I was sixteen and I don’t intend on changing that tonight. ” Beau rolled her eyes. “It’s down the hall, next to Jester’s room, the one with the pink door. You can’t miss it.”

He really couldn’t. Jester’s door was covered in pink and purple flowers and had her name written in glittery blue letters. He could hear her inside, singing to herself, a little off key. He waited for a moment before entering the bathroom, listening to her finish some pop song he had never heard before, with what he had to guess, was a dopey smile on his face. Maybe Beau wasn’t totally wrong about the crush thing... The thought was both thrilling and absolutely terrifying.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're enjoying it so far, everyone!   
> Sorry for any potential German or art history mistakes (I have no idea why I decided to go with the Pre-Raphaelites... I'm just a poor English major XD)   
> Kudos and Comments are always appreciated xoxo

When he finished changing and left the bathroom, Jester was waiting in her doorway, head poking out like she was listening out for something. When his shadow fell across her, she looked up and jumped in surprise.

“Oh my God, you almost gave me a heart attack!” She yelped, clutching at her chest. She had changed into a pair of pajama pants and a loosely tied purple robe, which split in the front leaving most of her pink bra on display.

“I’m sorry...” He said, his mouth a little dry, as his eyes dropped down to the freckled skin of her cleavage and he quickly forced himself to look away.

“I stopped hearing your and Beau’s voices and I thought you left.” She said, leaning back against the doorjamb. “I’m glad you didn’t.”

“You were pretty persuasive...” Caleb said, a slight blush creeping up his neck.

“So was Beau apparently. She got you to take your clothes off before I did...” She reached out and traced the _U_ printed over his stomach with her finger. “Is that Yasha’s sweatshirt?”

“Hmmm... I think so...” He mumbled. What did she mean by ‘take your clothes off before I did’? Did she want to...? _Sheisse_ , he was overthinking again. “I think it was the only thing Beau had that would fit me. Do you think Yasha would mind?”

“Nah, Yasha’s pretty cool. Have you ever met her?” Jester asked, moving on to tracing the word _Zadash_ across his chest.

“ _Ja_. Beau dragged me to the bar she used to work at a couple of times. You know, before her band took off and she started touring all the time.”

“Beau took me to one of her concerts last month. Not really my kind of music but she’s amazing on stage!” She got to the final _h_ in _Zadash_ and just rested her hand on his chest, fingers spread over his heart. “I still can’t believe my best friend’s girlfriend is a rock star! It’s so cool!”

“I don’t think their relationship is that official...” He whispered, very aware that she could probably feel his racing heartbeat.

“Dating, long term fucking... It’s all the same to me.” She shrugged. “But hey, what do I know? I’m, like, suuuper single!”

“So am I...” He said.

Jester’s answering smile was everything. It was large and sweet, but also seductive and a little dangerous. Caleb felt like all light sources in the apartment had gone out and all he could see was her, it was hard not to lean in and let himself fall into her orbit. Suddenly, the loud ring of the doorbell echoed out and Jester grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the living room, a slight skip in her step.

Beau was already at the door, paying for their takeout. They helped her carry the containers and they all sat around the kitchen island again and ate, exchanging stories about classmates and teachers. It didn’t take Caleb long to realize that Jester was a great story teller, she spoke with so much excitement, clearly loving being the center of attention, that she made even the most insignificant of details seem interesting. He loved the way her voice got high and her eyes widened when she was getting to the juicy bits and how she waved her hands about carelessly, and even how she talked with her mouth full. She was so unapologetically herself and, to him, that was not only very brave, but also incredibly attractive.

As soon as their noodles were done, Beau bid them both goodbye and headed to bed, stating she had to be up at 5 to workout. Jester hugged her goodnight, lacing her arms around Beau’s neck and squeezing their cheeks together.

“Sleep tight! Oh, and can you wake me up when you come back from the gym? I didn’t hear my alarm clock today and got to class late... my professor was so mad!”

“Sure, Jessie.” She said, smiling widely as she hugged her back. “Do you want me to bring you hot cocoa from Pumat’s for breakfast?”

“Yes, pleeease!” Jester said in a singsong voice. “And a blueberry muffin, if they have them!”

“Cocoa, muffin, got it! Alright, goodnight! See ya tomorrow, Caleb!” She ruffled Jester’s blue hair one last time and left, slamming her door behind her.

Jester sat back down, bumping her shoulder against Caleb’s playfully. “I guess it’s studying time again.”

“You sound slightly less upset about it this time.” He said, gathering their empty containers to throw them out.

“I guess the concept has grown on me since this afternoon...” She began helping him clean. “The way you blush when I say cock may have something to do with it...”

“I don’t...I-” He stuttered, knowing for a fact that his cheeks were reddening as he spoke.

“You do! It’s really cute...” She didn’t meet his eyes, still busy with the trash. Then she found their fortune cookies, forgotten at the bottom of a plastic bag. “Oh, Beau didn’t eat her fortune cookie! We should eat ours though, for luck!”

“I don’t think I’ve ever tried one of these.” Caleb took one and turned it around in his hand. “We don’t have them where I’m from. They don’t look very tasty.”

“Taste is not the point, it’s the fortune! Oh my God Cayleb, I can’t believe you never had a fortune cookie!” Jester stared him down, mouth agape. “You know what this means, right? Cayleb, you’re a virgin! I’m so glad I’m here for your special moment!”

Caleb’s face felt like it was on fire now. He ripped the cookie’s clear plastic wrapping, just to have something to do with his hands. “Does that mean this will be short and unsatisfying?” He joked.

Jester started laughing madly, leaning back in her stool until she almost fell off. Caleb’s chest felt full with the warm joy of her laughter. She was so amazingly beautiful when she laughed and he loved that he could make her that happy, even if it was just for a moment.

“Stop it! You’re already smart and handsome, you can’t be funny too!” She giggled. Then she put her hand over both of his, leaning against his shoulder. “Let me tell you the fortune cookie rules so you do your deflowering correctly! You need to snap it in half and read it out loud, then you add ‘in bed’ to the end of the fortune.”

“In bed?” He asked, a little taken aback by both the rules and her sudden compliment and closeness.

“Yes! Trust me, it’ll make a lot more sense once you read it.”

With a sigh, he cracked the cookie open and took out the little slip of paper tucked inside. “Say yes to new experiences, change will bring you happiness... in bed?” He tasted a bit of the cookie, it was pretty bland. “What is that supposed to mean? I mean, with the ‘in bed part’?”

Jester looked him over with fake seriousness, her eyebrows twitching with the need to laugh again. “In my fortune cookie expert opinion, I think it’s probably saying that you should try new positions.” A hint of a smile returned to her lips as she saw the unconvinced look on his face. “Or, you know, if someone new asks you if you want to bang, you should probably say yes...”

Caleb choked on the piece of cookie he was trying to swallow and started coughing violently. She patted him on the back gently until the coughing stopped.

“I would need a proposition to be able to take that advice...”

“Maybe you’ll get one soon...” She shrugged and grabbed her fortune cookie. “My turn!” She cracked it open and, after clearing her throat dramatically, started reading. “Luck is on your side, take bold chances... in bed!”

“Does that also mean new positions?” He asked with a smirk.

“Yeah, but like reeeally weird ones!” She giggled, wiggling her brows. “But, you know, since I’m apparently super lucky right now, why don’t we make the study quiz into a game?”

He cocked his brow. “What kind of game?”

“If I get, like, more than half right, I get a prize. If I don’t, you do.”

“And what would you like as your prize?” Caleb asked.

Jester thought about it for a while, biting down on her lower lip in that way that brought thoughts of her hot pink underwear to Caleb’s mind. “Oh, I’ve got it! If I win, you have to teach me more Zemnian naughty words!”

Caleb laughed. “Alright, that seems reasonable.”

“What if _you_ win? What do you want?” She asked, leaning closer.

_To kiss you..._ He thought, but instead said, “I don’t. If you get more than half wrong I lose too, because I obviously failed as a teacher.”

Jester pouted. “Noooo! You’re such an awesome teacher, don’t say that! Now I really have to win for sure or we’ll both feel bad!” 

“I guess you do.” He said with a small smile. “Shall I start?”

They decided to do 20 questions, since that was how long most exams tended to be and Jester was doing surprisingly well.

“Alright, last one. You’ll win, even if you don’t get this one, so it doesn’t really matter...”

“Liar, I got so many wrong!” She said, rubbing her face in frustration.

“You corrected them, that’s what matters to me. You’ve got 16 right so far.” Without even thinking, he gently moved her hands away from her face and pushed some stray locks of hair out of her eyes. “You’re going to do great on your exam, Jester.”

“Do you really think so? I’m super nervous...” She told him, her voice quieter than usual and a little breathy.

“I have no doubts, Blueberry.” He said. Jester smiled at the nickname but didn’t say anything. “Last question?”

“Yes, please!”

“Alright, which Pre-Raphaelite painter created the famous painting _Ophelia_?” He asked, showing her a picture of the painting on his phone.

“Oh, the lady that looks like she came so much she created a river and died!” She yelled out. Caleb gave her a look of confusion but also amusement and she laughed. “What? It’s what she looks like! Okay sooo... came and died...came a million times... a mil- Millais! John Everett Millais!”

Caleb shook his head slowly, smiling despite himself. “I don’t know how you do that, but you’re right! You win!”

Jester jumped up from her seat and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as she squealed with delight. Caleb hugged her waist, his palms meeting warm skin where her robe had risen up.

“I couldn’t have done it without you, Cayleb...” She whispered in his ear. Then she kissed his cheek, her lips just touching the edge of his. “Thank you!”

Caleb felt himself lean down towards her, his head automatically turning to meet the direction of her lips. Before they touched, however, he opened his eyes and felt a rush of cold, mind clearing panic run down his spine. What was he doing? Was he actually stupid enough to try and kiss her? Even though he desperately wanted her to be as captivated by him as he was by her, he knew, deep down, that her touch had to have been an accident.

She was so incredibly beautiful, staring him down with her lids lowered, lips slightly parted, the tie of her robe coming undone and exposing all the soft skin of her breasts and stomach. He was smart enough to know that someone as perfect as her would never want a broken mess of a man like him. And he wasn’t enough of a horny idiot to compromise his future tutoring gigs and whatever new friendship he had started to develop with her, for a kiss that would not be reciprocated.

“I should go. It’s getting pretty late and we both have classes in the morning.” He mumbled, pushing himself away and letting his hands fall from her waist.

She untangle her arms from around his neck with a soft sound that was almost a sigh but only smiled and nodded as Caleb clumsily gathered his things and said an awkward goodbye. She was still looking at him from the kitchen island, robe open and hair disheveled, when he reached the door. He had half a mind to turn around and return to the warmth of her arms, but he didn’t, he closed the door gently behind him.

It wasn’t until he had speedwalked all the way back to his apartment across campus in the dark, slammed the door angrily, scaring his poor cat, and thrown himself in bed still wearing Yasha’s clothes, that he realized he had left his wet ones there. He hoped Beau would bring them the next morning, he didn’t know if he could face Jester again. He didn’t know if he was strong enough to resist kissing her again if he had to.


	4. Chapter 4

Caleb spent all of the next morning in a daze. He had hardly slept, his dreams filled with strange voices and walls of flames.

He dreamt of fire regularly, at least twice a month, more if he was stressed. Back when the accident happened and the state payed for him to go to a therapist, the doctor had told him it was part of the healing process and it would pass with time. Time had passed, the dreams hadn’t, he didn’t know if he was even capable of healing. How was he supposed to get over something like that? The notion of a day where he would wake up and not think of it felt crazier than his never ending grief.

Over the years, he had learned to cope with his bad days a little better. When he was younger, he would hide away in his room, under the covers, music turned up as loud as it would go, so he couldn’t hear himself think. Sometimes he did worst things, things he now regretted and couldn’t take back.

But over time he had learned to force himself to leave the house and pretend to be normal, or at least as normal as he was on a good day. So, that morning, he got up, he took a shower and got dressed, he even made it to class and took notes, staring the teacher down with blank, unseeing eyes. He went to Professor Erenis’ office to grab the papers he needed to grade and made small talk with the older man, although his ears rang when he spoke and the Professor’s voice sounded like he was underwater. He even made it to Professor Thelyss’ office to discuss his thesis, even though he couldn’t bring himself to care at the moment and it was a struggle to read his adviser’s emotional reactions and try to mimic them in a way that seemed natural and not like he was too overwhelmed by his own thoughts to be paying attention. 

He was leaving his thesis adviser’s office when his phone rang. He juggled his cup of coffee, the papers for Professor Erenis and the book Professor Thelyss had just lent him, and reached into his pocket for the old, beaten up smart phone. The cracked screen lit up and he saw the name Jester Lavorre next to the green envelope icon that signaled a new text. His heart skipped a beat in his chest, the jolt of it breaking through the numbness that had haunted him all morning. He forced himself not to open the text before he got back home and put the book away because just the thrill of seeing her name almost made him dump his coffee all over his precious cargo.

He got to his apartment in about half the time it usually took him to make his way back from campus and, after putting everything down on his messy desk - the only messy thing in the entire apartment - finally sat down and reached for the device with shaky fingers.

The text was short and sweet and very Jester:

_Guess who just answered a question about surrealism in class and shocked the hell out of her Professor? (shocked emoji) (heart eyes emoji) (tongue out emoji) THIS GIRL! (thumbs up emoji) (blue heart emoji) (painter emoji)_

Caleb looked at the text for far too long, thinking of what to write back, before deciding to just go with a simple: _That’s great! You’re going to shock them even more once you ace the exam._ He thought about adding some emojis too but he didn’t really know what they were supposed to mean and didn’t want to risk it, even if it made him seem (in Beau’s words) ‘old and dry’. People often told him he had an old soul, but that sounded too nice, Caleb had always felt more like he had a geriatric spirit, grumpy and ill prepared for the ever evolving modern world.

He clicked send with a deep sigh and went on to make himself some ramen for lunch. He had planned on taking a small nap before starting on the papers, to make up for his sleepless night, but now he felt wired and anxious for her to reply. He was also starving, which was odd, he usually didn’t eat at all on bad days.

He made his instant noodles and ate them in silence, staring at his phone like he was in a trance. When he was done, he forced himself to start working, focusing on the stack of papers at his desk instead of that taunting, dark screen.

Hours passed, with no reply and, eventually, he became genuinely entranced by his work, the rhythmic cadence of the words on the paper, the repetitiveness of underlining and correcting details. He could honestly say he’d forgotten all about Jester and the phone, at least until it started ringing. It wasn’t the short ring of a text but the annoying long ringtone that had come pre-programmed into his phone. His instinct was to ignore the call like he usually did but he saw Jester’s name on the screen.

Caleb didn’t remember when he had last talked with someone over the phone that wasn’t a case worker, a college employee or the lawyer that handled his parents’ will. He hated phone calls with a passion, the way the voice only communication felt oddly intimate but also detached, lacking the emotional cues facial expressions provided, he tended to avoid them like the plague. But, just this once, he felt the need to pick up. He genuinely wanted to hear her voice.

“ _Hallo?_ ” He said hesitantly, after accepting the call.

“Hiiiiiii Cayleb!” Her voice was like a breath of fresh air over the phone, cheerful and slightly higher than normal. He didn’t feel his usual fear of misinterpreting people’s tone of voice because he could hear the smile in her words, it was strangely relaxing. “Oh wow, your voice sounds deeper on the phone!”

“Is that... bad?” He asked, chewing on the end of a ball point pen.

“Noooo! It’s pretty sexy actually... Tell me something naughty in Zemnian!” Somewhere behind her he heard someone make a gagging noise and knew it had to be Beau.

“Jester...” He sighed.

“What? You told me you would teach me more if I won the quiz. I won. Time for your part of the deal, Widogast!”

“Alright.” He reluctantly agreed. “What do you want to learn?”

“Hmmm... say ‘you make me so horny, Jester’!” She said with a giggle. Beau yelled out a muffled ‘ew’.

“Shouldn’t you want to know how to say that to other people instead of yourself?”

“Indulge me, Cayleb!” She said in a singsong voice.

“Fine... Jester _, Du machst mich so geil..._ ” He said, the words coming to him far too easily because it wasn’t the first time he’d thought them.

“Oh!” She gasped softly, her voice a little breathy. “I like that one...” There was a pause where he couldn’t think of anything to say and all he could hear was her breathing, a little faster than before, on the phone. “Anyways...” She said after a while. “Just wanted to call because, since I kicked so much ass in this last class, I think I deserve to celebrate by finally putting up my Christmas decorations and making cinnamon rolls and playing Christmas music way too loud! And I was wondering if you wanted to come over to celebrate too...”

His immediate instinct was to say _yes_ , but then he looked at the pile of still ungraded papers on his left, much larger than its finished sibling on the right. “I would love to but I have to finish grading these papers. Maybe next time?”

“Yeah, next time, I guess...” She said, her voice losing some of the joy it held just a moment ago. “Okay, I’ll stop interrupting your work. Bye Cayleb!”

“Goodbye, Blueberry.”

He held on to the phone for a while, even after she hung up, pressing his cheek against the glass like it was her skin. Even in his current state, knowing his head was not in the right place to socialize with others, he still wanted to be with her, to let her laughter fill the emptiness inside him until the flames felt like a distant memory again.

With regret and duty battling for dominance inside his mind, he turned his attention back to his work. Exactly 37 minutes later, however, his phone rang again. He reached for it immediately, the screen said Beauregard Lionett with a picture of her flipping him off she had taken and put as her contact ID herself. For the second time in a single day, Caleb accepted a phone call.

“What the fuck did you do?” She yelled out as soon as he picked up, not even letting him say hello.

“Me?” He asked, confused.

“Yeah! Jessie was all happy, talking about decorations and cinnamon rolls before calling you and now she’s holed up in her room listening to old Taylor Swift songs. Sad, old Taylor Swift songs, Caleb!” She said with a frustrated huff. “Have you ever heard ‘Teardrops On My Guitar’?”

“I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure...”

“I hadn’t either until today! She’s played it three times in a row and now I can’t get it out of my head!” She grunted. “Whatever you did, you better get over here and fix it! I have a date in less than an hour and I can’t leave my best friend alone, crying in her room!”

Caleb froze. “She’s crying?”

“Yes! She thinks I can’t hear it over the music but I totally can!”

Caleb didn’t hesitate, he didn’t even think. He just got up and grabbed his jacket. “I’ll be there in 15.”

He practically ran to their apartment, mind racing. He didn’t know why Jester was crying, she sounded a little sad when he’d refused her invitation, but not enough for tears. But maybe he wasn’t the only who was having a bad day...

Either way, the thought of Jester, someone so full of cheer and laughter, crying alone in a darkened room, made his chest ache. Which was more emotion than he had felt in a bad day in years. Maybe helping her work through whatever she was dealing with would allow him to forget his own problems for a little bit. Maybe he was running to comfort a beautiful crying girl because he was selfish and needed a distraction and not because he was completely smitten by her... Yeah, right. Even he wasn’t that good at lying to himself.

His 15 minutes were more like 28 but they felt like a second. One moment he was locking his door, the next Beau was buzzing him in. She greeted him at the door, not wearing sweatpants for once but what Caleb assumed was her ‘date outfit’, figure hugging jeans, a sleeveless cropped top and a leather jacket. He almost told her she looked good but stopped himself because he knew she would just be awkward about it, neither of them were good at accepting compliments, it was one of the reasons they got along despite their differences.

“Finally!” She said, hurrying him inside. “What did you do, Widogast? I’m freaking out! I’ve lived with her for almost 2 years now and I’ve never seen her cry before, dude!”

“Nothing, I swear! I just told her I couldn’t come over...” He mumbled, still trying to catch his breath from the walk over.

“Well you’re here now, so you better fix it! I have a date to get to.”

“Yasha’s back in town?” He asked.

“No...” Beau started fidgeting with the sleeve of her jacket, not meeting his eyes. “It’s this girl Keg I met on Tinder...”

“Beau...” He sighed.

“Don’t even start!” She hissed. “Me and Yasha are not official... She’s probably banging a new chick in every town so I don’t want to hear it!”

“If you say so... I just don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret later.” He told her as earnestly as he could muster in his mental state.

“I wont!” She huffed

“Okay, have fun on your date then...”

“I will!” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and took a deep breath, calming herself down. “You got this?”

“I-I don’t know... What if she doesn’t want me to be here?” He started shuffling his feet, his shoes making squeaking noises on the hardwood floor.

“She asked you to come over, didn’t she?” She said, bumping his shoulder to get him to stop.

“ _Ja_... but that was before she started crying...”

“Exactly! You made her cry, now you can make her stop.” She shrugged.

“I didn’t I... Never mind, just go!” Caleb opened the door for her.

“Good luck! If I come back in the morning and she’s still upset I’ll hunt you down, Widogast.” She told him from the hallway. 

“I’d be more intimidated if you weren’t wearing lipstick.” He smirked.

“It’s lipbalm! My lips were chapped, I needed something...” She started to blush. “It’s not even mine! I got it from Jessie’s purse, that’s why it’s pink!” She ran the back of her hand over her mouth removing the glossy pink tint from her lips. “You know what? I hope Jester kicks you out!”

She flipped him the bird and angrily stomped down the stairs. Caleb closed the door quietly, laughter bubbling behind his lips. He never laughed on bad days and, even though he didn’t actually laugh then, just having the will to do it was an improvement. He couldn’t wait for Jester to tell him to leave and his mood to spiral back down...

With Beau gone, he could distinctly hear her music, echoing sad but still sweet throughout the house. She had changed the song and now the girl Beau had called Taylor something (Caleb didn’t really listen to pop music, he owned a collection of old vinyls and that was pretty much all he listened to) was singing something about a white horse.

Holding his breath, he slowly made his way to her room, passing by a large cardboard box of Christmas ornaments, abandoned in the doorway. He stopped at her door and just listened for a while. He could hear her sniffling softly and singing a couple of words at a time in a hoarse, choked voice, between hiccuped sobs. Forcing himself to take a long, deep breath, he knocked softly on her flowery pink door.

“Jester?” He called.

The music stopped and he heard her blow her nose. “Cay-” She cleared her throat. “Cayleb? Is that you?”

“ _Ja_... Are you okay, Blueberry? Can I come in?”

She didn’t answer but he heard her shuffling things around before opening the door, just a crack.

“Heyyy...” She said in a small voice. Her eyes were a little puffy and shinny and her nose was red, but she wasn’t crying anymore. “What are you doing here? Didn’t you have work to do?”

“Beau told me you were having a rough time so I decided to come. I hope that’s okay...” _Gott im Himmel_ , he really wasn’t good at this... His voice sounded so stuttery and awkward. He was suddenly acutely aware of how unprepared for this kind of situation he was, having no sisters, no girlfriend since high-school and only emotionally closed off female friends like Beau and Nott.

“What? Beau called you?” She grunted, covering her eyes with her hand. “That’s so embarrassing!” Then she took her hand away and gave him a big, fake smile, the corners of her lips twitching. “I don’t even know why she did that. I’m, like, really good. I’m great!”

“You don’t have to pretend, not with me, Blueberry.” He said, wiping her tear streaked cheek with the pad of his thumb.

She looked up at him, her large eyes welling up with tears again, smile fading into a trembling pout. “Ca-can you give me a hug? I-I think I need one...”

“Of course!” He whispered, opening his arms for her. “Come here.”

She opened the door completely and rushed into his embrace, burring her face in his chest. She was wearing a large men’s t-shirt that came all the way down to her knees with a muscled shirtless Santa and the words ‘Where the Ho Ho Ho’s at?’ in red letters and had her hair up in two messy blue buns. Caleb bent down slightly to lay his chin between her buns and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing soothing circles up and down her back. She didn’t start sobbing again, just hugged him tightly, sniffling softly.

“I’m sorry for interrupting your work...“ She hiccuped, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re more important than some papers, Blueberry.” He whispered against her hair.

“Do you give all your students nicknames?” She asked and, even though he couldn’t see her face, he knew she was smiling again, her lips just grazing his skin as she spoke.

“ _Nein._ But you’re not just a student to me, Jester.” He immediately realized he had said too much and wanted to take it all back but it was so hard to think when she was touching him.

“Good, because it would be really unprofessional of you to hug a student like this...” With a giggle, she kissed his neck, just above where his collarbone peaked out of his sweater. “Kind of hot, though, in that kinky student/teacher way.”

Then, just like that, she stepped away, leaving his embrace.

“What?” It was all he could say. If he’d felt numb before, now he was hyperaware, his senses overwhelmed both by her kiss and her sudden distance. He could still feel her lips on his skin, so soft and warm, like a phantom touch, just out of reach. He flexed his hands, closing them into tight fists and opening them again, trying to fight the will to reach for her. He’d never been turned on on a bad day but it was a different sort of torture, he needed to touch her so much it physically hurt. 

“You heard me, Professor Widogast.” She laughed, twirling away from him. Then she stopped and just stared at him for a while, head cocked sideways. “Waaait, are you wearing glasses?”

Caleb absentmindedly touched his face and found the rounded frames. He’d forgotten he still had them on. “Oh, _ja_. I need them to read. I forgot to take them off before coming over.”

“Wow, it’s not even fair!” She sighed, biting her lip. “You’re here with all this hot teacher energy and I look like crap!”

“No, you don’t.” He said candidly. Even like this, she was still one of the most stunning people he had ever seen. If anything, the fact that she wasn’t perfectly colorfully put together all the time just made her more endearing and more real, like maybe he could have a shot... “I don’t think you could look bad even if you tried.”

She got up on the tips of her toes and carefully took off his glasses. “You big, fat liar!” She put them on and posed, hands on her waist. “Do these make me look smarter? If I wear them to my exam, do you think I’ll pass?”

He didn’t think they made her look any smarter, but damn it if she didn’t look cute in them.

“If you study, you’ll pass, glasses or no glasses. Unlike what most people think, they don’t actually come with an intelligence bonus.” He put his hand out, palm up. “Can I please have them back now?”

She smirked, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “Never! You wont catch me alive!”

Then she ran back into her room, leaving the door wide open for him. Caleb shook his head, a small smile growing on his lips, before he followed her, closing the door behind him. He didn’t know what she was planning but, at this point, he was in too deep, he would follow her anywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow is it even possible for me to write something that doesn't have at least one chapter with sad feels? The world may never know! I turned it back around at the end, though!   
> If you read my other fic, you know I like a slow burn, but we're getting closer and closer to the Explicit chapters! (also if you read my other fic, I'm sorry for the month long hiatus but there's some heavier stuff in the next chapter and I thought it would be better to leave you with this story for the hollidays instead)  
> There won't be a chapter on New Years, since I'll be at a party, but I'll absolutely post on January first!   
> Comments and kudos are always apreciated, Happy New Year! xoxo


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, guys!  
> Enjoy!
> 
> (Chapter doesn't contair sexually explicit content yet but it's up there in the M rating) 
> 
> Comments and kudos are always apreciated! xoxo

Jester’s room was, unsurprisingly, very colorful. The curtains, the bedspread and the carpet were bright pink and the walls were covered in pictures, drawings and posters, except for one which had a mural of the sea at sunset she had probably painted herself.

She was waiting for him in the middle of the room, giggling as she skipped around her furry carpet. When she saw him walk in, she squealed and ran for her bed, her t-shirt riding up as she climbed on top of the mattress, exposing thick freckled thighs.

“I’ve got you cornered, Lavorre.” He said, his voice deepened with want. “Hand them back and there won’t be any trouble.”

“Oh, but I like trouble!” She said, grinning from her spot, sitting up against the headboard. “If you want them, you’ll have to come and take them from my cold, dead hands!”

He stalked his way up to the bed, his mind unsure of what to do. Inside her room, things felt more real, more intense, yet he still couldn’t tell if she wanted him too or if it was all just a game.

As he got to the bed and put one knee on the mattress for balanced, looming over her, and she smiled up at him, his mind filled with resolve. It didn’t matter, he was going to kiss her, consequences be damned! If he ended up leaving, rejected and humiliated after, at least he’d given it a shot. Very few things in his life felt as important, at that moment, as kissing Jester Lavorre.

As he reached for the glasses, lowering his face to capture her lips with his, however, she slid from beneath him with the grace of a cat. Crawling under his arm, she got behind him and began to savagely tickle him until he crumpled in the fetal position on the bed, laughing so hard it hurt.

“A-ha!” She yelled as she straddled him, her hips keeping him pinned belly up to the bed, strong thighs pressing against his sides. “You fell right into my trap! You thought _I_ was trapped in here with _you_ , but _you_ ’re trapped in here with _me_! Muahahah!” She laughed dramatically.

She continued to tickle him mercilessly as he squirmed beneath her, trying to no avail to tickle her back. She easily deflected his attacks and pushed away his hands when he tried to cover himself.

“Stop it! Please, Jester!” He cried out, laughing breathlessly.

“Beg for mercy!” She giggled, wiggling on top of him, making him gasp in a way that had nothing to do with the tickling. Caleb didn’t know if it was the lack of oxygen or the contact between them but his head was swimming, his heart beating hard and fast, and he didn’t want it to end. 

“Mercy! Please, please!” He begged. 

“Now in Zemnian!” She bent over, laying on top of his chest, and whispered it in his ear, her nails grazing his ribs over his sweater, ever so softly.

“ _Bitte! Bitte hör auf, Liebchen!_ ”He whimpered.

With a giggle, she released him, sitting back over his lap with her hands innocently raised up in the air. Caleb wondered if she could feel his dick, already half hard, pressing against his jean. “Since you asked so nicely.”

“You’re pure evil! Are you going to let me go now?” Caleb asked with a smirk, not really wanting her to.

She waited a moment, acting like she was thinking it over. Then she took off the glasses and put them down on the nightstand beside him, shaking her head slowly. “I was, until you called me evil. Bad move, Widogast.”

“Oh, no... Please, no more tickling!” He implored as her smile widened again. “I didn’t mean it! You’re not evil at all! You’re the nicest, most beautiful girl at Z.U., Jester Lavorre!”

The honesty was refreshing, even if it was disguised as a joke. The way she blushed however, that was all real and it made him feel like he was dreaming. A good dream, with no flames except the heat between them.

“Flattery will get you everywhere.” She said, sticking her tongue out at him. “Except out of here! For your crimes, you must answer one question, lie and you shall be punished. Severely.” She wiggled her eyebrows and he couldn’t help but laugh, this time painlessly, his ribs expanding against the pleasant weight of her body.

“You almost sound like you want me to lie...” He said.

“Me? Noooo, I’ve clearly taken no pleasure in any of this.” She lied, smirking shamelessly. “Now tell me... my nickname, why did you pick Blueberry?”

“Blueberries are my favourite fruit. And with your hair and your eyes and how sweet you are, it just felt right...” He shrugged, blushing as well. “Why? You don’t like it? I can stop if-”

“No, no! I actually really love it... They’re my favorite too...” She interrupted him, a sheepish grin on her face. “You’re not just calling me sweet to get me to let you go, are you?”

“Absolutely not! Scouts honor!” He said, making a sign with his finger that he hoped resembled something scout-like.

“You were never a scout, were you?” Jester asked.

“Never. Don’t even think we have scouts back where I’m from.” He laughed and she rolled her eyes. Then her attention was suddenly caught on something just above his head.

Caleb’s eyes followed hers, looking for whatever had distracted her. It was a single sprig of mistletoe, attached to her headboard with a big red bow.

“Oh, totally forgot I’d put that there... But, you know, they say if you’re under the mistletoe with someone, you have to kiss them or it’s bad luck.” She bit her lip. “I reeeeally don’t want bad luck right now. You know, with the exam and everything...”

Then, without warning, she bent down towards him and kissed him quickly, her lips barely touching his, before she backed away again.

“Better safe than sorry, right?” She whispered from above.

“ _Ja,_ we shouldn’t risk it.”

If Caleb hadn’t made his mind up before, he was definitely sure now. That one small kiss, that tiny hint of a touch, had been more than enough to get him hooked on her. He needed to kiss her, to really kiss her, more than he needed air to breathe.

He reached up for her, one of his hands cupping the back of her neck to bring her closer, the other instinctively traveling down one of her thighs to the back of her knee. She didn’t resist him, following his gentle lead she laid on his chest and their lips met, soft and unsure at first. Caleb kissed her slowly, giving her every chance to pull away if she didn’t want this. She didn’t. Instead, she kissed him back, her lips faster and more intense than his, asking him for more. Caleb groaned into the kiss and stopped holding back, licking her lips apart so he could taste her. Their tongues met halfway, hers playful, his urgent, as they explored each other.

As they continued to kiss, Caleb marveled at how well they fit, lips and tongues gliding effortlessly, her body moving over his like they had done it a thousand times before. He had hoped their fist kiss would be good (her not rejecting him being a major part of it), but this went beyond anything he could have dreamed of. He never doubted she would be an excellent kisser, but he expected it to be a little awkward on his part, like his first kiss with Astrid under the school bleachers, all braces and longs, uncoordinated limbs. He’d only kissed one woman before and had been so long ago he was sure he’d be out of practice, but as soon as their lips touched he instinctively knew what to do. Caleb didn’t know how he had spent five years without this, the idea of stopping now, even for just a moment, seemed like torture.

Jester bit his lower lip, tugging playfully on it and he groaned. His hand travelled up her thigh, under her t-shirt, fingers pressing into her smooth, plump flesh until she was keening softly, hips grinding into his, fingers tangled in his hair.

“Cayleb...” She whispered as they broke apart, gasping for air, their forehead pressed together.

This was the moment, the one where they cleared their minds for a second and decided if they were going to continue this or leave it as it was, forget it had happened. Caleb knew what he wanted but he waited for her to move, to speak, to do anything that let him know they were on the same page.

She looked radiant above him, hair falling down from her buns, framing her flushed cheeks, lips reddened from kissing him, the light from the ceiling lamp creating a soft golden halo around her, so unearthly beautiful he felt his heart skip in his chest, aching with a feeling he could no longer call just attraction or even a crush.

She tugged on his hair, pulling his head back with a grin and kissed his jaw, and then his neck, trailing lower and lower, down towards his chest. Caleb almost sighed with relief but he didn’t want to waste a second of touching her, feeling her, letting himself be consumed by everything that was Jester Lavorre. He let his hands roam up, under her shirt, finding the curve of her ass. Before he could squeeze it, however, Jester’s phone started to ring.

She froze on top of him, listening in to the ringtone as if trying to find out who it was without even looking. Really, if anyone would go through the trouble of attributing a different song to every one of her contacts, it would be Jester. He wondered briefly what her ringtone for him was... Once the first words of the song rang out - something about a wave - she quickly jumped off him and grabbed the device. Caleb felt freezing cold all of a sudden, the lack of her contact shocking, her lips leaving his neck like the ripping of a band-aid.

“Hello?” She said, still a little breathless, into the device, her face scrunched up with worry. “Yeah, I know... But... yeah, you said that already...”

She started pacing, biting her sparkly pink nails, her eyes beginning to water again. Caleb sat up in bed, the cold sobering him up. Whoever she was talking to, she clearly cared for them, even if they were breaking her heart. She had told him she was single but that didn’t mean she wasn’t interested in someone. Someone that obviously wasn’t him. It was just his luck that his heart had started beating again after five hears, for a girl who wanted someone else.

But why had she kissed him back then? Why had she touched him like he was the one she wanted all along? Was he some kind of substitute, a sort of revenge for whatever that other person had done or said? It made sense, even if it also made him feel stupid and numb all over again.

“Okay... I guess I’ll see you then... if you actually come. Alright, I love you...”

The words were like a punch to the gut, not fully unexpected but incredibly painful. He would have gotten up and left, but his shaking legs wouldn’t let him.

“Fuuuuck!” Jester screamed out suddenly, wiping angrily at her eyes. She threw the phone against the beg and when it bounced and landed on the floor, she ran after it, concern mixing with the anger on her face. “Shit, shit, shit!”

“Are you alright?” Caleb asked, his voice hollow even to his own ears.

“Yeah, I guess.” She shrugged, sitting on the edge of the bed, next to him. “I’m sorry, that...that was the reason I was crying before.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” He said, and then immediately cursed himself. The last thing he needed now was to firmly plant himself in the friendzone by becoming the one she told her romantic troubles to.

“It’s just my dad... I called him after I talked to you and it didn’t go well.” She mumbled, picking at her flaking nail polish, legs swinging in a child-like search for comfort.

If Caleb felt stupid before, it was nothing compared to now. In his self flagellating need to always bring himself down first, he hadn’t even considered a parent or a sibling. He was supposed to be the clever one here but, with her, he always felt like he was a step behind. 

“He wasn’t in my life at all when I was little but we reconnected a couple of years ago. I decided to come to Zaddash for college so we could be closer but he always seems to be too busy for me...” She sighed.

“Family can be complicated.” He told her, reaching for one of her hands and intertwining their finger. The touch was mostly meant to comfort her, but he also felt the desperate need to feel her again, to be sure what had just happened between them was real.

“Yeah, I know! But, like, I’m not even asking him to come over all the time, right? It’s just that I usually go to Nicodranas for Christmas, to be with my Mama, but this year she’s working. Which is fine, really! I know she would totally be with me if she could. My Mama’s the best...” She smiled, the gesture smaller and sadder than the ones Caleb had grown accustomed to. “But, because of that, me and Beau decided to throw a Christmas party here, since she never spends Christmas with her family anyway. And I wanted to invite him but he told me he couldn’t make it! Like, he couldn’t even make time for me on Christmas!” Fresh tears spilled from her eyes and she rubbed furiously at them with her free hand. “Now he said he was going to try and come for a little while, but it sort of feels like too little, too late, you know?”

Caleb raised their joined hands and kissed her knuckles, one by one. “He seems to at least be making an effort. That’s good, _ja_? Parents are precious, Blueberry, we must appreciate every second we get to spend with them.”

She sighed and leaned against his shoulder. “You’re right... He’s trying his best, I guess. I just wanted him to come. I don’t want him to be alone in his office on Christmas...” She sighed then and turned to him. “What are _you_ doing for Christmas? Are you going back home to be with your parents?”

“... _Nein._ My-my parents are... no longer alive.” He muttered, trying to fight the urge to scratch at his arms.

“Oh, Cayleb!” She cried out, eyes threatening to well up again.

“It’s alright... it was a long time ago.” Caleb whispered.

“What... what happened to them?” She asked. When he didn’t answer right away, she started worrying at her bottom lip. “If you don’t want to talk about it it’s okay, I understand. I probably shouldn’t have asked, I’m sorry...”

“ _Nein_ , it’s alright.” He hadn’t talked about his parents’ death with any one of his friends except Nott. Even Beau didn’t know what had happened to them, even though she had eventually figured out he was an orphan. But Jester had just opened up to him about her own family, how could he not do the same for her? Besides, a part of him wanted to tell her, to let her know something deeply personal about him. He wanted to trust her, like he hadn’t trusted someone else in years. “It was an accidental house fire, when I was seventeen. Faulty wiring, they said. I was in school when it happened...”

“I’m so sorry, Cayleb!” She said quietly.

“ _Ja_ , me too...” He answered in the same tone.

She hugged him then, holding him tightly so he could lean his weight into her. She didn’t try to say any vaguely uplifting words about them looking out for him from above or any of the stupid meaningless things people usually tell you when they found out your parents are dead. She was just there for him and that was perfect.

“So, how are you spending Christmas?” She asked after a while, pulling away slowly.

“I don’t know... I usually spend it with my roommate Nott, but she moved out last year and got married. I think she’s going to be with her husband’s family this year and I don’t want to intrude...”

She gasped. “Then you can totally come to our party!”

“Oh, I don’t know about that...” He muttered awkwardly as she grabbed him by the shoulders and gently shook him with excitement.

“Please, please, please! It’s going to be fun!” She sat up on her knees so she could be eye to eye with him as she shook him and he almost thought she was going to kiss him again. Except she didn’t move and neither did he and, although he saw what could have been a glint of disappointment in her eyes that mirrored his own feelings, neither of them said anything about it. Maybe he was just projecting. Maybe she regretted kissing him back... He couldn’t tell anymore. “I won’t let you spend Christmas grading papers alone, Widogast!”

“I wasn’t planning too. Maybe doing some light reading...” He said.

“Booo! You can’t do that, not on Christmas!” She stuck her tongue out at him. “I’ll drag you over here myself if I have to!”

“Alright, aright!” He told her. “I really don’t have a choice, do I?”

“Nope!” She stood up on the bed, hopping from foot to foot. “Resistance is futile. If you don’t know that by now, then I haven’t tickled you enough!” She said with a smirk. Then she jumped down, landing on the carpet with her arms up, fingers delicately pointed, like a gymnast at the Olympics. She lowered one of her arms with a flourish and extended her hand to him. “Now come on! I asked you to come over for loud Christmas music and decorating, not crying. Let’s get back to the original plan.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long guys, but it's worth it!  
> (Warning: This chapter includes an explicit sex scene as well as short mentions of self-harm and suicide)

They spent the rest of the afternoon putting up her Christmas tree and decorating the rest of the house. Jester had more decorations than he had ever seen, wreaths and garlands and lights and throw pillows in any sort of mildly Christmassy color or pattern. There didn’t seem to be much of a theme connecting them, except maybe glitter, which was on most things. Her tree was covered in a collection of odd baubles, multicolored donuts, unicorns, angels, teddy bears and other sweet threat shaped things. It was chaotic and overwhelming and beautiful, like Jester herself.

Besides Jester’s directions, they didn’t talk much as they worked, letting the Christmas music fill the silence between them. Caleb couldn’t take his eyes off her though, and from time to time he would catch her looking at him from the corner of her eye, her expression far more serious than what he had grown accustomed to seeing on her pretty freckled face.

 _She regretted what they did. And she probably regretted what they almost did more._ It was the only logical explanation to the shift in her mood. She’d been emotionally fragile and tried to find comfort in a physical connection and, now that her mind was a little clearer, she regretted it all.

Caleb felt like kicking himself. He knew she was not in a good headspace, he shouldn’t have kissed her back. He probably wouldn’t have if he’d been feeling better himself but, apparently, he had no self control on bad days. Except she didn’t even know he was going through a rough time too so, in her eyes, he was just an asshole who tried to get in a crying girl’s pants! _Sheisse_... He really was an expert at screwing things up, wasn’t he? She probably hated him now. He wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t want to see him ever again after that day. She certainly didn’t have a reason to, her exam was that week and they hadn’t scheduled any more tutoring sessions, so they could both just go their separate ways. Maybe that’s what Caleb needed, some distance to get over this ridiculous, unrequited crush... but just the thought of it made his heart ache.

When all the decorations seemed to be in place, Jester asked if he wanted to watch a movie or grab something to eat but he excused himself, saying he still had papers to grade. The goodbye was predictably awkward. He didn’t know if he should hug her, or just wave. He wanted to kiss her - because of course he did, despite everything _he_ didn’t regret their kiss - but that was not going to happen... He ended up just saying goodbye from the doorway. Before he could leave, however, she grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Thank you for coming, Cayleb.” She said, giving his waist a squeeze. “Thanks for ditching your work to help me get out of my funk.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. Okay, maybe she didn’t hate him. Maybe they could see each other at Beau’s parties and talk like the kiss had never happened. Maybe they could even be friends... He could pretend to be okay with that. It still hurt, but not as much as the idea of never seeing her again.

“It’s what friends are for, right?” He said, almost choking on the words.

“Is that what we are?” She asked quietly.

 _Fuck_... How was he supposed to answer that? He was a good liar, but not that good.

Fortunately, she didn’t give him a chance to embarrass himself further. “I mean... I would like for us to be friends... since you’re not technically tutoring me anymore.” She said, cheek pressed against his sternum. 

“I...I’d like that too...” He mumbled. 

“Awesome!” She squealed, her voice breaking a little at the end. Then she rose up on the tip of her toes and kissed his cheek, right by the corner of his eye, as away from his lips as possible. “Goodbye Cayleb!”

“ _Ja..._ Goodbye, Blueberry!”

*

He didn’t expect to hear from her again until she got her exam results, or maybe around the time of the Christmas party, but she texted him the very next day. It was just a small question about her exam, something involving Art Deco that he answered quickly, but seeing her name on his phone made him smile.

The next morning, he woke up to another message:

_Last day before the exam, forcing myself to study one last time! (glasses emoji) Are you sure you can’t come over to help me? (angel emoji)_

It was followed by a selfie, taken from above to show the Art History books and notes on her desk, as well as her, biting down on a pink gel pen, wearing a very low cut white halter top that showed the delicious expanse of her chest.

He stared at the photo for far longer than he cared to admit, then rolled over in bed, groaning into his pillow. How was he supposed to get over her when she kept reminding him of how hot she was? Did she not realize what she was doing to him?

He forced himself to get up and take a cold shower before answering her message. In his horny half-asleep state, he considered going over to her place, before reminding himself of what had happened last time. The bad part, not the kiss, he didn’t need any reminders of that.

While under the freezing cold spray, he thought about sending her a picture back, a shirtless post-shower selfie. Beau told him her workout buddies sent those all the time, hell she did it too, when she really wanted to get a girl’s attention. It seemed like a good plan for about a second, before Caleb came to his senses and realized he didn’t have the self-confidence nor the body for that. He even took the picture and deleted it almost immediately, too embarrassed by how awkward he looked. In the end, he sent a photo of his messy desk instead, with the caption _Can’t, got to finish these until Friday. Good luck though (thumbs up emoji)._ But he also saved her selfie and, even though he tried his hardest to stay focused on his work, he couldn’t stop himself from looking at it again and again throughout the day.

The next day, she called him, right as he was leaving the library. 

“Hey...” She said in a weak voice. “I’m about to go in for my exam and I’m kinda, sorta... super duper nervous...”

“You’ll do great, Blueberry.” He told her. “Just remember your key words...all the cocks and the boobs...”

“And the vags! Don’t forget about the vag!” She giggled.

Caleb groaned, smiling despite himself. “I hope nobody heard you say that...”

“Why? It’s just studying, Cayleb!” She said innocently and then yelled out, “Don’t forget about the vaaaaag!” Caleb could hear someone in the distance whistling and screaming back ‘yeah girl, you tell them!’ as she broke into a fit of laughter.

“I’d be hiding in a corner if I was there...” He chuckled.

“I wish you were...” She sighed. “Anyways...I need to get going, but we should hang out soon. Like, after the semester is over?”

“Of course.” He said, both dying to see her again and dreading his reaction to her closeness. “Good luck, Jester!”

“Can you say that in Zemniaaaan?” She asked, stretching her syllables out in that adorable way she did when she really wanted something. He could picture her biting her lip and batting her lashes, even though he couldn’t see it, and it made his pulse race. 

“ _Viel Glück,_ Jester!” He told her, keeping his tone purposefully low, the way she liked it.

“Well, fuck... How am I supposed to focus on the exam after that?” She asked, her voice a little more higher pitch than before.

“You asked for it...” He added in the same tone.

“I’ll still blame you if I fail, though! Don’t you need a special permit to go around being hot and Zemnian? It’s really a danger to society, you know?” She huffed. Before Caleb could even think of how to respond, she added, “Shit, my teacher’s here, talk to you later! Byeee!” 

_Hot and Zemnian..._ He couldn’t stop smiling like an idiot the rest of the day.

*

Friday came, the last day of the semester and Caleb couldn’t wait to have at least a full week of nothing but rest and reading before he started getting emails about the next semester. He delivered the last of his graded papers and wished Professor Erenis a Merry Christmas before happily returning to his apartment and curling up in bed with his cat and a new book.

He was almost done with the first chapter when there was a knock at the door. He got up slowly, stretching his numb limbs as he went. He wasn’t expecting anyone, so it was probably his landlord or one of the undergrads that lived next door, asking him for some ingredient he definitely didn’t have. He was in no rush to deal with any of that. 

The person at the door knocked again, more urgently this time and he grunted in annoyance.

“Alright, alright! Just a second!” He said, unlocking the door.

It wasn’t his landlord. Instead of the burly middle aged man, he found Jester, shivering in her fuzzy pink jacket.

“Sorry... I didn’t know if you were home.” She said with a small smile.

“Jester... How did you find out where I live?” He asked, regretting immediately how rude he sounded. 

“Oh, I asked Beau... I hope that’s okay.” She stated to blush, worrying at her bottom lip.

“ _Ja_ , of course...” He said quickly. “What’s going on?”

She took a deep breath like she was steadying herself and Caleb felt his entire body go tense. “So... my teacher just posted up the exam results. I passed! Unless I, like, really mess up and fail something else, I’m going to be able to graduate!”

“You aced it?” He asked incredulously.

“No... But I got a B+, that’s pretty good, right?”

“That’s amazing, Jester! Congratulations!” He moved to hug her and she stopped him, holding up her hands.

“Wait! There’s something really important I need to tell you and I have to do it before I chicken out.” She cried out, looking at the floor to avoid his questioning stare.

Caleb leaned back against the doorway, readying himself for what was to come. Had he said something in the texts that made her angry? Or was this about their kiss? Did she want him to stay away from her? In a way, he couldn’t say he didn’t see it coming...

“After I checked the results, I texted my mom and then Beau. She wanted to go out to celebrate and I said no, because the only person I wanted to celebrate with was you...” She said in a rush, only stopping to breath at the end, when she finally looked him in the eye. “Because, I don’t know if you can tell, but I haven’t been subtle about the way I feel about you, like at all! And I thought you were into me too because we kissed-”

“Jester, I’m so sorry about that-” He mumbled, not really able to keep up with everything she was saying. Did she really say she was into him?

“And it was awesome!” She interrupted him. “And I know my daddy issues that day were a big turn off but I was hoping we could continue that later... except you never made a move and then you said we were just friends and got me all confused! So I need to ask you now if you like me, because I have this huge crush on you and I don’t want to get my heart broken later on...” She stuttered, hugging herself against the cold outside. “And if the answer is yes, maybe you should let me in before I freeze because I thought coming over in just my coat and underwear would be cute and sexy but it’s way too cold for this...”

Caleb just stared at her, mouth agape like a fish out of water. His brain seemed to have stopped working completely, crashed down by the sheer power of the sentence ‘I have this huge crush on you’ coming out of Jester’s lips, just for him.

He searched for the right words to answer, first in Common, then Zemnian, nothing was good enough, nothing reflected exactly what he was feeling. So he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her inside, closing the door behind her and gently pushing her against it so he could kiss her.

Their lips crashed with none of the hesitation of the last time. Caleb grabbed her hips, pinning her between his body and the door, her bulky coat getting in the way of his hands but not his lips. She melted into him, arms wrapped around his neck, and sighed into the kiss, the sound so sweet Caleb almost stopped to take it in. But then she tangled her fingers in his hair, raking her nails across the nape of his neck and up into his scalp and his mind went completely blank, leaving him shivering and leaning back into her touch.

“I’m assuming this is a yes.” She giggled, nuzzling his cheek.

“ _Ja... Sheisse_ , yes, yes!” He panted, kissing her lips over and over again. “ _Mein Gott,_ I’ve wanted to do this since the day we first met!”

“Why didn’t you?” She asked, pulling down his shirt collar to kiss his neck.

“I didn’t think you’d be into me...”

She stopped kissing him and pulled away slightly to look him in the eye. “You’re kidding, right? I kissed you! In my bed! While straddling you!” She said, eyes wide.

“Alright, yes, in hindsight it does seem pretty obvious...” He laughed. “I may be a good tutor, but I’m not always the smartest, Blueberry.”

She giggled, leaning back in to kiss him again. “Yeah? Then let me make it even more obvious for you.”

She pulled her zipper down, letting the coat fall from her shoulders until the only thing she had on were her knee high boots and a lingerie set, the matching bra and panties made of pale blue lace.

“Oh, wow...” Was all he could say, staring at the soft curves of her body, not a quick glance like he had let himself have when she’d undressed in the kitchen, but a lingering, appreciative look. “You really weren’t kidding about the underwear thing, hmm?”

She grinned, preening for him, unabashedly putting her hands on her hips and pushing her chest out. “Do you like it?”

“I- Gods, I love it...” He stuttered, his hands hovering awkwardly before he decided to reach for her waist, his palms spreading over the smooth freckled skin, bringing her closer until he could feel the heat of her body on his, even through his sweater. Then he started kissing a line from the edge of her jaw down her neck, stopping just shy of the top of her breasts. “Is this okay?”

“Fuck yeah, don’t stop!” She whined.

He chuckled, palming her breast through the lacy fabric, his thumb finding her nipple and teasing it until it hardened. She gasped, one of her hands finding its way back to his hair, the other slipping beneath his shirt.

“Cayleb...” She cried out as he pinched her nipple gently, leaving wet, open mouth kisses on the top of her other breast. She gripped the hem of his shirt lifting it up as far as she could. “Can you take it off?”

“Ah... _Ja_ , of course!” He mumbled, too consumed by the feel of her skin and her sweet cinnamon scent to think properly.

It wasn’t until he had the sweater pulled over his head that he remembered why he never took his shirt off in front of people. Jester’s hands stopped roaming up his torso, as she noticed the scars that ran up and down his forearms, pale pink and raised.

“Oh, Cayleb!” She said softly.

“I -I had a hard time dealing with...everything, after my parents’ accident. I don’t do it anymore, though. I swear...” He stuttered, letting his shirt fall to the floor.

She picked his left arm up and kissed his wrist, right at the top of his deepest scar, the one that went half way down his arm and was mirrored in his other arm. “If you ever need to talk about it... if you ever want to, I’m here, okay?”

He took a long, deep breath and kissed her lips softly. He had never let someone else see him like this, never allowed anyone else to know how vulnerable and broken he was underneath it all. Astrid had been there when it started, when it was at its worst. He never worried about her judgement because she had marks of her own, burns and bruises she didn’t talk about. She never commented on his scars and she never told him to stop. This was different, Jester was different. He had expected this moment to be uncomfortable and painful and, although he still felt the will to put his shirt back on and hide, Jester’s immediate quiet acceptance and non-judgemental concern made it bearable. Her sweet, steady gaze calmed him down more than any words could.

“Another time, alright?” He said shakily, looking into her indigo eyes to ground himself.

She nodded. “Another time.”

They were making out again in a heartbeat, her hands now free to explore his body, nails raking down his back. She kissed his neck, finding a particularly sensitive spot over his pulse point and nipping and sucking on it until he was moaning, face buried in her cleavage, hips bucking involuntarily. She let her hand trail down to the front of his pants, rubbing him through the fabric and he almost lost it. 

“Fuck, Jester!” He grunted.

“Sorry, too hard?” She asked, her voice breathy.

“ _Nein_. Too good... I haven’t done this in a while.” He confessed.

She laughed, running her tongue lazily over the tender spot one more time. “I think I left a mark.”

Caleb shivered. “Good. I’m going to need it to know this wasn’t a dream.”

“Have you been having naughty dreams about me, Cayleb?” She teased. Caleb gave a noncommittal grunt, his cheeks growing warm. “Because I have... about you and me, in my bed...”

“You’re going to be the death of me, Jester Lavorre!” He whispered, reaching around to grab her ass, squeezing it until she squealed with delight.

“Oh, no! We don’t want that, do we? Maybe I should stop.” She grinned, drawing circles down his body, fingers following the thin line of auburn hair that ran from his bellybutton down bellow the waistline of his jeans. She stopped just before reaching it, taking a step back until she was flush against the door and out of his arms. “Maybe I should put my jacket back on and go home...”

“Don’t.” Caleb begged, chasing after her. 

“Or, maybe I should just take this off...” She reached behind her and unlatched her bra, letting it fall to the floor.

Caleb’s mouth went dry. He’d never considered himself a breast man, he was attracted to different things on different people so he didn’t think he had a preference, but Jester’s breasts were the most perfect thing he had ever seen. Just looking at them made heat course through his body, straight to his already painfully hard cock.

“ _Sheisse_... You’re so beautiful, Jester!” He moaned, pressing her against the door and kissing her hard.

He pushed his body against hers, his leg parting hers as his hands cupped her breasts, their fullness almost too much for him to hold. He brushed her nipples lightly, barely touching the hard pink nubs with the pads of his thumbs, and she hissed, grinding her hips against his thigh. He gave her more, thumbing them in earnest now, drawing slow circles around them before substituting his fingers with his mouth. Jester keened, pushing herself into his touch, as he sucked and lapped at her nipple, pinching the other one. He raked his teeth over the sensitive bud, nipping at the underside of her breast and let his free hand, the one not massaging her other breast, travel down to play with the lacy edge of her thong.

“Cay-leb, please...” She cried out. She was bucking her hips in earnest now, desperate for friction, her breathing fast and uneven.

“Tell me what you want, Liebling.” He asked, his confidence growing as he watched her pleasure rise under his touch. There was an indescribable sort of power in being the object of someone’s desire and the provider of their satisfaction. Specially when that someone looked as good as Jester did at that moment, lips parted and swollen from kissing him, pupils blown wide, body writhing under his hands and mouth. A goddess.

“Touch me, please, please, please!” She whimpered. “I need your fingers...”

Caleb pulled back his leg and she gasped, before he replaced it with his hand, feeling her through the lace. She had soaked through the fabric, her core hot and wet _for him_.

She slipped his thumbs inside the waistband and pulled the thong down slowly, running his hand along her inner thigh on the way up. She placed her feet further apart, spreading herself for him as he got closer to her core, whining softly in anticipation. He ran his fingers along her slit, opening her and coating them with her slick before finding her clit. As soon as he touched it she moaned loudly, the sound so sweet it made his cock throb with want. He started searching for a rhythm, guiding himself by the delicious sounds she made and the quivering of her thighs. When she started to grind against his hand, silently asking for more, he kept rubbing her with his thumb and gently slipped his middle finger inside her, her dripping cunt offering almost no resistance. He got her used to the size, exploring her and finding the spot that, when he curled his finger just right, made her cry out his name, leaning heavily on him as her legs buckled, threatening to give out. Then he slowly added another finger. She keened at the stretch, biting down on his shoulder as he started to move in and out of her.

“ _Das ist good, ja?_ ” He asked, his mind, hazy with lust, reverting to his mother tongue without him realizing it. “ _Sheisse..._ sorry, I meant- Fuck...”He groaned as she clenched around his fingers, her nails digging into his back. “Is this okay, Blueberry?”

“More than okay...ahh yes, there! Cay-leb your fingers are so long...shit, they feel so good!” She moaned, her face buried in the crook of his neck. “Keep talking to me in Zemnian, please! It’s so hot!”

He laughed, the request unexpected but oddly erotic. He leaned down and bit her ear lobe, whispering to her in his native language as he fingered her faster. “ _Sehr gut, Liebling! Du bist so gut für mich, so schön, so perfekt..._ ”

“Oh Gods, oh fuck, I’m so close!” She whined, panting against the skin she had peppered with hickies and bite marks. 

“ _Komm für mich, Schatz_!” He lifted her face and kissed her hard, hitting the spot she liked faster and faster until she fell apart, gasping into the kiss.

She went completely limp and soft in his arms, the growing tension in her fading away into post orgasmic bliss. She kissed his lips slowly and leaned back against the door with a small smile and her eyes closed.

For a while there was just silence and their heavy breaths, as Caleb gently took his fingers away and licked them clean, the taste of her almost good enough to make him cum as well. She opened her eyes as he was cleaning himself off and grinned, her face luminous in the afterglow.

“You filthy liar.” She said, her voice a little hoarse.

“What?” He asked, his confusion made even worse by how aroused he was at this point. He could swear he would die if he didn’t cum soon, he could feel his pre-cum sticking to his boxers and the feeling of the fabric rubbing against the head of his cock was almost painful at this point.

“You told me you hadn’t done this in a while.” She said.

“ _Ja_ , it’s been a couple of years... I’m sorry if-” He mumbled, pushing back the strands of hair stuck to his sweaty forehead.

“That’s impossible, you’re way too good to be out of practice!” She interrupted him, shaking her head. Caleb couldn’t help but smirk back, pure pride breaking through his usual self-loathing. “That’s okay, though. You can keep your secrets if you keep making me cum like that.”

“That good, hmm?” He wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her back against his chest, rubbing her back to keep her warm and she practically purred with contentment.

“I’m no teacher, but I’d give you an A.” She giggled.

“No A+?” He asked, pretending to be hurt.

“What an overachiever! Don’t worry I’ll let you do extra credit work later...” She said, her eyes hungry and predatory, ready for more. “But now take me to your bedroom. I’m going to make you feel so good you’ll forget your name.”

His heart skipped a beat, there was nothing he wanted more in the world. “Are you sure, Blueberry?”

She nodded, grinning widely, then she leaned in to whisper in his ear, “ _Fick mish,_ Cayleb!”

He rolled his eyes, even as her words made him shiver. “You’re a menace...”

“I told you it was a useful thing to know!” She said with a wink.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Warning: This chapter includes an explicit sex scene)  
> Comments and Kuddos are always appreciated! (Don't be shy, remember I actually wrote this, there's no shame in fanfiction XD)

Jester grabbed his hand and made her way toward his bedroom. Despite never having been there, his apartment was so small that she found it straight away. He followed her almost in a trance, watching her naked curves as she moved through the dimly lit house. The way her hips swayed rhythmically, the rubbing of her thighs against each other with every step, the full curve of her ass as she climbed into his bed. How had he gotten so lucky? He felt blessed just to be able to look at her, the fact that he could touch her, that he could make her cum moaning his name... It was almost too good to be true.

She was sitting at the edge of the mattress, taking off her boots when Frumpkin got up from his spot between his pillows and came over to rub his head on her arm.

“Oh my gosh, Cayleb! You didn’t tell me you had a cat!” Jester squealed, rubbing Frumpkin behind his ears. The cat started to purr, leaning into her touch. His pet had always been a good judge of character. “He’s soooo cute! I could pet him all day!”

“Well... maybe another time?” He said. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate that Jester seemed to have immediately fallen in love with his cat, but he had other things on his mind at the moment.

She looked up at him with a small, apologetic smile. “Yeah, another time... Sorry, I get easily distracted.” She got on her knees, rising up to give him a quick peck. “But I promise you’re getting my full, undivided attention now.”

Caleb smirked and pushed his cat gently off the bed. Frumpkin growled as he slowly walked out of the room, tail stuck up in the air. “Sorry buddy!” He called out, not even looking at his cat as he kissed Jester. “She’s mine now.”

It took a second for the weight of his words to sink in and he was almost sure he had messed everything up when her smile widened and she kissed him harder, pulling him down towards the mattress, over her. _His._ Jester Lavorre, the girl everyone couldn’t help but have a crush on, wanted _him_ , had a crush on _him_ , was _his..._ at least for now. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

Instead, he buried his face in her neck and started kissing her skin, biting and sucking on every tender spot to mark her as she had done with him. She giggled, tilting her head back to give him better access, one hand gripping his hair as the other one searched blindly for the zipper of his jeans. He helped her out, stepping out of the pants and crawling up on the bed.

“Na-ah, take it all off, Widogast! Boxers off!” She whined, pulling playfully on his hair. He groaned and she did it again, a little harder, forcing a strangled moan out of him. “Unless you want me to do it...”

“I’m not apposed to that idea...” He muttered.

She let go of his hair and he almost regretted his decision but then she came closer and kissed her way down his chest and stomach, biting a spot over his hip bone and making him gasp. She pulled his boxers down, licking her lips as she saw his hard cock spring from under the dark blue fabric, the pink tip already leaking. She stroked him twice, slowly teasing him, thumb running over the head to gather his precum. Caleb hissed, closing his eyes, breath hitching.

“You tease...” He moaned, as she let go of him and backed up until she was sitting against the headboard, motioning with two fingers for him to follow.

“Shut up and get over here! I need you inside me, right now!” She said with a giggle, spreading her thighs for him.

“Sheisse, _Liebling..._ ”He growled, settling between her legs and kissing her hard, hands roaming up to cup her breast and tease her nipples. Jester keened, hips bucking up to grind against his cock. Caleb was lining himself up with her core when a though froze him in place. “Shit... fuuuuuck!” He groaned, covering his eyes with his hand, the heel digging into his socket.

“What?” Jester asked, her face scrunched up in concern and confusion.

“I... I don’t have any condoms. Fuck, I’m so sorry, I didn’t even think about it until now... I told you, it’s been a long time.”

Jester laughed and kissed his forehead. “Don’t worry, check the pocket of my coat.”

“Oh, you really came prepared, didn’t you?” He said with a relieved exhale. 

She shrugged. “There was a chance you could have said no but I wasn’t going to prepare for that, right? No use coming over with ice-cream and tissues...”

He couldn’t help but laugh, his chest filled with so much affection it was hard to breathe. “I could never say no to you, Blueberry. I’ll go get it, don’t move!”

“No promises!” She called out as he got off the bed.

He practically ran back to the living room, his cock slapping heavily against his thigh with every step. He should have probably been embarrassed or worried that someone could see him through the kitchen window, but he had a gorgeous naked woman waiting for him in his bed so the worrying and the blushing had to wait.

He rummaged through the pockets of the fluffy coat, finding a set of keys on a blue donut shaped key-chain in one and a collection of assorted items in the other, including chapstick, a pack of gum and the smooth condom wrapper. He was about to pull away when something vibrated against his fingers, followed by a pleasant ring. He grabbed her phone, not wanting to pry but intending on giving it to her in case it was something important. As he started to walk away though, it rung again, the screen lighting up, and he couldn’t help but see the messages.

Beauregard: _So are we going out for dinner or what?_

Beauregard: _Do you want sushi? I’m down for some sushi_

Beauregard: Hello? Jester?

Beauregard: _Are you not answering because you’re banging Widogast?_

Beauregard: _Ignore that last one, I do NOT wanna know..._

He laughed, making his way back to the bedroom. She was still laying in bed but was now belly down on the mattress, legs kicking in the air.

“You moved.” He said as she looked up at him with a mischievous smile.

“Are you going to punish me for it?” She wiggled her eyebrows and he felt his face redden.

“ _Nein._ I think you’d enjoy it too much.” He smirked and smacked her ass playfully as he took a seat next to her in bed. By the way she squealed and moved her hips, he knew he wasn’t wrong. “Don’t want it to become a habit.”

“You know me so well...” Jester giggled. She sat up and swiftly straddled his hips, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him in for a kiss. “Did you find it?”

“ _Ja_. I also found this, it was ringing.” He said, giving her the phone between pecks. He couldn’t imagine ever getting tired of kissing her, seeing the way her eyes lit up when he came closer and the little sounds she made when he nibbled and tugged on her bottom lip. 

Jester scrolled through the messages and laughed, putting it on his nightstand while still pinning him down. “Just Beau being Beau. She sends her love.”

Caleb ran his hands up and down her thighs, fingers digging in just a little, the way she liked it. “Did you tell her you were coming here?”

“Yeah, I needed to know where you lived...” She started worrying at her bottom lip. “Did you want to keep this a secret?”

“Not if you don’t want to, Blueberry.” He said, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers trembling just the tiniest bit.

If she was telling her friends about this, did it mean it was more than a one time thing? Did she want them to be together, to _date_? He was so happy he could cry, but he was also terrified. Life had a way of taking things from him, of tearing him down when he was at his highest, like with his scholarship to the Soltryce Academy, or his parents... he didn’t remember the last time he wanted something as badly as he wanted Jester and here she was, telling him what was happening between them was real. 

“Good...because I don’t think I could stop talking about you even if I tried.” She blushed and Caleb couldn’t help but kiss her again, pushing her bare chest against his.

Her body slipped forward, the heat of her core sliding over his cock until they were both moaning, his erection twitching with a hard reminder that, although his heart felt full to bursting, there were other parts of his body that still required attention. And Jester seemed only happy to provide, rubbing herself on him, covering his cock with her warmth and her slick.

“Now, where were we before?” She asked, her voice returning to the husky tone Caleb now knew meant she was close. The thought that she could climax by just rubbing herself on him was incredibly erotic.

“Here.” He said, showing her the condom.

She took it from him and ripped the package open with her teeth. Then she took him into her hand, her gentle but firm grip making him whine, as she rolled the condom down his shaft. Then she found a position that worked and slowly lowered herself, stopping just as his head entered her.

“Fuuuuuuck!” She keened and Caleb used all his will power to stop himself from bucking and driving his cock in further. She was so deliciously hot and tight around him...

“Are you okay, _Liebling_?”

She nodded, lowering herself a little more, teeth digging into her bottom lip. “You’re so big! Help me...”

Without a second thought, he grabbed her hips and thrusted up slowly, feeling the glide of her walls until he bottomed out inside her. They both cried out, Jester’s eyes rolling back in her head as she dug her nails into his back and started to rock gently back and forward. She was unsurprisingly loud and unashamed, which Caleb loved. But, even though he didn’t care if the neighbors heard, he was for once glad he didn’t have a roommate anymore. Nott walking in on them was the last thing he wanted right now.

“ _Sheisse_... Jester, you feel so good around me, _Schatz_!” He cooed, following the movement of her hips with his own until she picked up speed, using her strong thighs to push herself up and down on his cock. Caleb’s brain stopped working again, too focused on the feel of her and trying desperately not to cum yet.

“Cayleb...” She keened, grabbing a handful of his hair and pulling so he looked up at her. He moaned and she swallowed it with a kiss. “Fuck, you look so hot like this! I’m going to make you cum so hard, Widogast...”

Then she pushed his head down, burying his face in her cleavage. Caleb held on to her tightly, drowning in her skin until he was gasping for breath, his head swimming. He licked his way between her breasts and then took one of her nipples into his mouth, licking and biting just hard enough for her to whine and arch her back to get closer. The new angle pushed him even deeper than before and they both groaned, Caleb grabbing her ass to help her move faster.

“Yes! There, there, fuck...” She cried out.

She looked gorgeous riding his cock, her eyes blurry, hair messy, mouth open to utter a mix of cries and mumbled words he couldn’t quite make out. _Thoroughly_ _wrecked_ and loving it. Heath pooled low in his gut and Caleb knew he wasn’t going to last, not with the way she looked and felt and the noises their bodies were making, the wet slick sound of friction and the slap of skin on skin...

“Oh my Gods! Cay-Cayleb, fuck I love y-” She froze, her body going stiff on top of him so suddenly it made Caleb cry out. “This! I love this...” She mumbled before crashing her lips against his and starting to fuck herself on his cock with renewed vigor.

Caleb couldn’t even process what she said, he felt her walls tighten and pulse around him and he couldn’t hold back anymore. “ _Ich werde kommen!_ ” He groaned, thrusting up into her harder, all the way to the hilt. “Shit... Jester, I’m going to cum!”

“Yes, yes _, yes_! Cum with me, Cayleb!” She put her head on his shoulder, hiding in the crook of his neck as she keened and he pulled her back, capturing her lips in a final kiss just as she fell apart around him. She tensed up for a second before she came undone, thighs and core twitching before she melted into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He came immediately after, grunting her name as he spilled inside the condom, her still quivering cunt milking him through it.

When they were both spent, Caleb got rid of the condom and rolled them over so they were on their sides, Jester’s arms and legs still wrapped around him. “That was...” He panted, hugging her waist to bring her even closer, until she was laying her head on his shoulder. “Wow...”

“Yeah.” She smirked, nuzzling his chest, right over his still racing heart. “I could get used to this...”

“I was hoping you did, I was hoping you wanted to stay...” He whispered. He didn’t know if the post-orgasm haze was making him brave or if he was just tired of being unsure. She had showed up at his door to tell him how she felt, it was about time he did the same.

“Oh, you’re not getting rid of me that easily, I’m a cuddler.” She giggled. “Plus, I don’t think I could get up right now even if I wanted to...”

“I don’t just mean right now.” He laid his chin on top of her head, his breath ruffling her hair. “I don’t want to ruin the mood, but I need to know... What are we now, Jester? Is this just a one time thing? Because I don’t want it to be...”

She was quiet for a while and Caleb’s nerves shot through the roof. When he looked down at her, however, she was smiling, tracing patterns in his freckles with the tip of her finger. “Are you saying you want to be my boyfriend, Cayleb?”

“Hmmm _ja_ , I guess so.” He said, feeling a blush crawl up his neck. He really was not the best at expressing himself in these situations. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? If you want to be my girlfriend? I don’t have a lot of experience when it comes to this but I feel like something isn’t right...”

She pushed herself up with her elbow and kissed him, her hair falling down like a blue curtain between them and the rest of the world. “No, everything is perfect. I would love to be your girlfriend, Cayleb Widogast!”

He let out a loud breath, half sigh of relief, half laughter. “Gods, I can’t even put into words what I’m feeling right now... I’m the luckiest man in the Empire!”

She kissed his forehead and her face became a little more serious. “I know we haven’t known each other for that long but I really, _really_ , like you Cayleb. Beau tells me all the time I wear my heart on my sleeve and I catch feelings way too fast but I’ve never felt such a strong connection with someone else before. You’ve seen me through a very stressful time and you were always there for me, no matter what. You’ve been patient when teaching me, you’ve been sweet when I was down and you believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. I don’t think it was ever possible for me not to fall for you.” She smiled down on him and Caleb felt his heart skip a beat in his chest... he may have actually been the luckiest man in all of Exandria.

“It’s easy to stand by someone as amazing as you, Blueberry. You don’t even know how much better you make everyone’s lives just by being in them. I’ve smiled and laughed and _felt_ more since I’ve met you than I had in years. You’ve brought light back into my life, _Liebling!_ I can’t promise you I’ll be a perfect boyfriend, I’m a bit of a mess, if you can’t tell... but I promise my entire heart is yours and I’ll try my best to never, ever, hurt you. _”_

He reached up to cup her cheek and she leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. “That sounds pretty perfect to me..”

“Or maybe you’re just getting roped in by my accent again.” He joked.

“Damn that sexy accent! It gets me every time...” She giggled, kissing the tip of his nose.

“You know, since you don’t understand Zemnian, I could have been speaking complete nonsense before.” He said with a smirk.

“That would have been hilarious! But I bet you weren’t. It sounded way too naughty for you to just be, like, commenting on the weather. Unless you have some pretty sexy feelings about light showers and thunder storms.”

She wiggled her eyebrows and Caleb broke down in a fit of laughter. “You’re wonderfully ridiculous, did you know that?”

“Yeah, I’ve been called that once or twice.” She said, flopping back down beside him and curling up in his arms. “Speaking of showers... How about after a cuddle, and maybe a sex nap, you fuck me in yours? We can go grab some food after. How does sushi sound to you?”

He kissed her slowly, her warm body and her words waking his cock back up, not quite ready yet but more than willing. “Fantastic. Everything sounds fantastic if it’s with you, _Schatz_.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, long time no post, right? Well the one good thing about this corona pandemic and self isolation is that it's finally given me time to write again since my new job had been taking away all my time and mental capacity. Hope you enjoy this one, it's as steamy and Christmasy as it gets!  
> (Warning: this chapter contains explicit sex scenes)  
> Remember, in these trying times, show your love with some comments and kudos! <3

They ended up not going out for sushi. In fact, they didn’t leave his house for the next two days, too caught up in each other.

They ordered food and bundled up under his sheets and got to know more about one another. Caleb opened up about his parents, Jester told him about her famous mother, a soap opera actress with a past in the adult industry, and her father who Jester knew was a business man but wasn’t actually aware of what he dealt in. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem very legal to Caleb.

They joked around and played with his cat and even read Caleb’s smutty fantasy book out loud. And yes, they had sex in the shower... and in the kitchen, and in the old living room couch. But even when they were able to keep their clothes on, Caleb couldn’t stop staring at her, couldn’t keep himself from kissing her halfway through his own sentences and hugging her from behind as she danced around his house in one of his sweaters. So maybe it was for the best that they gave it a couple more days before they went out together because, as Beau put it once when their usual study spot in the back of the library was stolen by a horny couple, they were “pretty disgusting” and “not fit for public consumption”. 

As Sunday came to a close, however, Jester told him she had to leave. 

“Are you sure? You could stay here until the new semester starts...” Caleb said, only half joking, as he tried to pull her back to bed.

“I have a Christmas party to organize, remember?” Jester giggled, slipping away from him and getting her coat on over the purple sweatshirt he had lent her. It was so long on her tiny frame it looked like a dress, ending just above her knees. “You’re coming, right? I want to introduce you to all my friends!”

“Wouldn’t miss it, Blueberry.” He got up and grabbed one of his scarves from the closet, draping it around her neck. “Take this too, you’ve got a little something peeking out.”

She looked down at where the sweatshirt’s loose collar showed off two large hickeys at the crook of her neck and smirked, taking the scarf off. “Keep it, I don’t care if anyone sees. I like looking at them, they remind me of you.”

Caleb tried to ignore the possessive thrill that ran down his spine as he took back the scarf and slipped his arm around her waist. “You wouldn’t need a reminder,” With his free hand, he brushed her short hair away from her face, revealing another hickey just under her ear and kissed it gently, reveling at how she moaned and arched her body towards him. “if you stayed.”

“While that is a _very_ good point...” She grabbed his face and kissed him once, hard and fast, before escaping his grasp and making for the door again. “I _really_ need to go… But I’ll see you at the party in two days. And I’m going to text you and call you, like, all the time! I’m not kidding, I’m going to call you so much you’ll get sick of me!”

“I don’t think that’s possible.” Caleb laughed.

“Don’t test me, Widogast.” She said with a wink as he opened his front door and let her out with a final kiss.

True to her word, she texted him as soon as she got home. Caleb couldn’t help but smile, he missed her already.

*

Christmas came both unexpectedly fast and far too slowly. Caleb spend his two free days catching up on his reading and frantically looking for a gift for Jester. He would wake up to her texts and go to sleep while talking to her on the phone, wishing he could kiss her goodnight. Still he missed her like crazy, maybe too much for someone in such a recent relationship. He couldn’t help it though, she was his every thought. He couldn’t wait to see her but he was also afraid. Afraid the distance had the opposite effect on her, afraid he would embarrass himself with how much he _felt_ for her

On the 25th, he facetimed Nott to wish her and Yeza a Merry Christmas and see Luc stumbling around in the pajamas he had bought him, they had tiny orange cats and Luc seemed to like them almost as much as Caleb did.

After the Bernattos hung up, he took his time carefully wrapping Jester’s gift and then got ready for the party. He showered and shaved, he put on his favourite light blue buttondown shirt and the black formal trousers he wore whenever he gave one of professor Erenis’ classes, along with a long wool coat, and tied his hair back at the nape of his neck.

Looking in the mirror, he still didn’t think he looked presentable enough, he never did. There was a time when he craved the attention of standing out from the crown, of standing tall and proud and richly dressed. That was before his parents’ accident, though. After their death, he couldn’t stand to be noticed, to be stared at and pitied or gossiped about. Now he much preferred to be purposefully dishevelled and blend with the crowd. Except that would not do tonight, not when he intended to stand beside Jester and meet her friends. And maybe that was alright, because who would even spare him a second look when he was standing next to a goddess?

He arrived at her apartment at what he hoped was a fashionably late time and rung the doorbell, listening to the cheery Christmas music that echoed from inside and the roaring of occasional laughter. Beau opened up, dressed a lot more formally than Caleb had ever seen her before, in black loose cigarette pants, a lacy red cropped top he was sure belonged to Jester, and a black blazer.

“Widogaaaast! Come in, come in!” She said, her cheeks rosy like they always got when she drank too much. “Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas, Beauregard! Is Jester around?” He greeted her, hesitantly walking in.

“Yeah, yeah, I think she’s on the couch there.” She pointed with her mug, the liquid inside, that looked suspiciously like eggnog but smelled more like paint stripper, sloshing dangerously. “So, are you guys officially a thing now?”

“ _Ja_ , I guess we are...” He muttered with a small smile. His hand reached up to rub the back of his neck out of habit before he remembered he had his hair tied back and would rather not mess it up and dropped it down awkwardly.

“And you told me you didn’t have a crush on her! You lying dumbass!”

“You can’t just ambush me like that, I don’t do well under pressure!” He huffed. “Plus, I didn’t want to make a fool of myself! How was I supposed to know I had a chance with her? Have you seen me? Have you seen _her_?”

“Well, _I_ knew you had a shot! She texted me from the coffee shop saying I should have warned her that you here hot.” She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink. “And after that she wouldn’t shut up about you... It was pretty gross.”

“Why didn’t you tell _me_?” He practically screamed in frustration, arms crossed in front of his chest.

“Because you said you didn’t have a crush on her, you idiot!” She yelled back.

He sighed. “ _Ja_ , okay, that’s on me... Is there anything else she said I should know?”

“Yeah, if you ever brake up with her, she’ll probably kidnap your cat. She really likes that cat.” She laughed. “Also, I’ll kick your ass. You better not hurt my best friend!”

“Don’t worry, I’m not planning to. But, if I ever fuck up that badly, do it. I deserve it.”

He made his way through the crowded room, trying to get to their living room couch. Even from across the way, he could see Jester, sitting on the arm of the couch, head thrown back in laughter as she talked with someone. She looked stunning in a short red dress with a white fur trim and matching heels, two little red glittery bows shinning in her cobalt hair.

“Hi…” He said shyly as he got closer.

She was talking to a handsome guy with a large scar across his forehead Caleb recognized as the barista from Pumat Soul’s. When she heard him, she looked up and smiled so widely he couldn’t help but smile back.

“Cayleeeeeeeb!” She squealed and jumped into his arms, hooking her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

The sudden weight of her body sent him flying backwards until he fell down on the armchair behind him. Jester giggled, her lips crashing against his hungrily. For a moment, Caleb forgot they were at a party, surrounded by lots of curious eyes, and it was just him and Jester. She felt so good around him, warm and familiar, her lips velvety soft and wielding under the gentle pressure of his tongue. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she practically purred, pushing herself harder against him. Heat shot through his body and, as she bit his lip and tugged on it playfully, he had to hold back a moan. This woman was going to be the death of him...

Just then, the barista coughed quietly behind them, the kind of insistent sound that let Caleb know it was probably not the first time he had done it. Jester pulled back and smiled apologetically at him over her shoulder.

“Sorry, I got a little carried away...” She laughed, staring back at Caleb like she wanted to eat him alive. “Fjord, this is my boyfriend Cayleb! Cayleb, this is Fjord! He’s Beau’s gym buddy.”

Fjord waved awkwardly, his cheeks a little flushed. “Hey there...Nice to meet you!” 

“Very nice to meet you, Fjord!” Caleb made to get up, moving Jester off his lap. “Sorry about-”

“Oh no, don’t!” He interrupted, waving him off and getting up from the couch. “You guys keep doing your thing. I’m going to look for Caduceus. I’ll see you later, alright?”

As he walked away, Caleb groaned, covering his face with his hand. “That was not the kind of first impression I wanted to make on your friends...”

She settled back in his lap, straddling him. “Don’t worry about it, he’s done worse. Last Summer, we all went out to that club on 22nd one night and he met this crazy chick called Avantika and they banged on our couch. They were still both butt naked when me and Beau got up to go to class... She refused to sit on the couch after that, so I had to get a new one!” 

“Still,” Caleb said, laughing despite himself. “I wish I could have presented myself with a little more...decorum. But _you_ make that very hard.”

“Sorry.” She said with a grin that let him know she wasn’t sorry at all. “I just missed you so much...”

Her words made the hard knot of nerves in his chest begin to untangle. She had missed him too! All his paranoia and the horrible scenarios he had imagined where she grew sick of him and wanted nothing to do with him anymore had been unjustified. He guessed a part of him, the rational one, knew that already, but it was so good to hear those words. To be _sure_.

“I missed you too, _Liebling._ ” He kissed her again, softly now, taking his time. Jester melted into him, her fingers tracing the contours of his freshly shaved jaw. “So much...”

“What did you miss more, hmm? This?” She asked, bending her head down to kiss is jaw, quickly nipping at the same spot right after. “Or this?”

“Is both an option? I don’t think I can-”

His words were interrupted by a sudden hush in the crowd, followed by frantic whispering. Jester stopped kissing her way down his neck to look.

“Holly shit! Yasha’s here!” She whispered to him, turning his face around so he could see a tall girl with a messy mane of white tipped black hair, make her way into the apartment and then stop in the middle of the kitchen to look around awkwardly. “She was supposed to be on tour! I’ve gotta go get Beau, she’s going to lose it. Come on!”

Caleb didn’t really want to let her go but Jester practically jumped off of him and, grabbing him by the hand, pulled him to his feet with surprising strength.

“Shouldn’t we just let them find one another? I don’t want to interrupted their reunion...” He said, adjusting his coat to hide what was now a _very_ obvious erection.

“Beau spiked the eggnog and has been drinking it all day, I doubt she’ll be able to find her way out of the bathroom soon enough.” Jester said, rolling her eyes.

“Fair point.”

Hand in hand, he followed Jester throughout the house until they found Beau sitting on the floor in the hallway by their bedrooms, cradling her mug of eggnog on one hand and her phone in the other.

“Hey, Jessie! How’s the party?” She asked, slurring her words a little.

“It’s great but... what are you doing on the floor, Beau?” Jester asked, sitting down next to her.

“Oh, you know... I kinda sat down to rest for a bit and now my legs are all wobbly and I can’t get up?” She laughed for a little longer than what would be considered normal and then her face crumbled and Caleb was sure she was about to cry. “I also may have called my parents to wish TJ a Merry Christmas... And my dad may have yelled at me for being drunk and then hung up before me and my brother could speak...”

“Oh Beau...” Jester hugged her tightly, letting the older girl rest her head on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, he’s horrible! But look, I’ve got some great news for you!”

“What? Did you make more eggnog?”

“No, silly!” Jester said, shoving her playfully. “Yasha’s here!”

“No, she’s not. She’s in Europe on her tour.” She sighed. “Probably fucking some groupie in the back of the tour buss as we speak... This pep talk, Jess? Really not helping.”

Jester rolled her eyes. “Because you’re not listening to me! Beau, she’s here, she’s in our kitchen!”

“Wait, are you serious?” Beau stuttered.

“Yeah! Come see.”

It took quite a few of Jester’s pulls to get Beau back to on her feet but when they managed to get her up, she practically ran to the kitchen. Yasha was still there but had gotten herself a drink and was leaning awkwardly against the wall like she wanted it to swallow her up. When she saw Beau, her face split in a small, shy smile.

“Hey Beau! Merry Christmas...” She said, just barely loud enough to be heard over the music.

“What happened to Europe? I thought you were only coming back in January.” Beau asked, the alcohol making her forgo all social niceties.

“I canceled the last five shows...” Yasha mumbled. “I wanted to spend Christmas with you and-”

Before she could even finish her sentence, Beau was on her, hooking a hand around her neck to pull her down into a kiss. Yasha’s pale face turned bright red but she kissed her back, her hand coming up to cup Beau’s cheek.

“Yasha, I love you! _I love you_ , okay? I’m sorry I didn’t say it before you left... I was dumb and scared... And I know I’m pretty drunk right now, but i mean it!” Beau cried out between kisses. “And this? Us? I want it to be official, I don’t want to see other people. I want to be your fucking girlfriend!”

Caleb had never seen Yasha smile so widely, her miss-matched eyes a little misty. “I don’t want to be with anyone else either. In fact, I haven’t... ever since I left, there’s been no one else.” She said. “You’re the only one I want, Beauregard Lionett. I’m yours if you’ll have me...”

“ _Fuck yeah_ I will!” The two girls started making out in earnest as Beau pulled Yasha towards her bedroom. Caleb’s embarrassment about his and Jester’s previous PDA moment faded just a little. It seemed like this sort of thing was the norm around here.

“Well, there goes my party co-host.”Jester giggled, reaching across the kitchen island to organize the various plates of snacks and mini sandwiches strewn about. “Guess I need to do it all myself now... So, Mr. Widogast, do you want something to eat? A drink? There’s eggnog! Unless Beau drank it all...”

“That’s alright, I don’t think I could stomach it. I don’t have Beau’s tolerance.” He said, coming behind her to hug her around the waist. She turned around and reached up on the tips of her toes to kiss him.

“Well, I’m trying to be a good host, so what do you need?” She ran her hand down his chest, reaching for the buttons at the front of his coat. “Aren’t you hot? I can drop your coat off in my room, if you want.”

Caleb stopped her from opening his coat, his face burning. “M-maybe not now?” Jester looked up at him, raising her brows in confusion. “I’ve got... an issue, at the moment.”

She still looked very confused, so Caleb pulled her closer, until she could feel his erection pressing against her stomach. Her eyes grew wide and she smirked.

“Cayleb... do you have a boner? Is it from watching Beau and Yasha?”

“ _Nein, nein_!” He stammered, his face growing impossibly warmer until he was sure even his ears were red. “I just- that kiss you gave me when I walked in was... intense.”

Jester bit her lip, holding back laughter. She grabbed his hand and started guiding him into the hallway again. “Come with me, I have an idea.”

“What? Where are we going?” He asked.

“Remember when you asked me if you could get ‘extra credit’?”

“Oh... _Oh!_ ” He said, remembering that particular conversation. “What about your hosting duties?”

“If Beau gets to ditch them to have a good time, then so do we!” She winked.

She took him all the way down the hall, passing by her room without stopping.

“Wait, we’re not going to your room?” He asked.

“No, of course not! People expect me to be in my room, they’ll come looking for me there. But you know where no one expects you to be?” She motioned towards another door. “Laundry room!”

“You mischievous genius!” He laughed.

She opened the door and dragged him in, closing and locking it behind him and kissing him hard.

“Look, there’s mistletoe! It’s meant to be!” She said, pointing up at a sprig of mistletoe, tied with a red bow to the top of the door frame.

“It’s almost like you planned this...” He said, holding her tighter against him.

“Maybe I did...” She grinned. “What are you going to do about it?”

“Hmm, I think I’ll...” He whispered in her ear, his hands roaming up her thighs, reaching under her dress to squeeze her perfectly round ass. “Reward you for being such a clever girl.”

Jester squealed, wriggling against him. Caleb kissed her slowly, swallowing the sound. “But you need to be quiet. There’s a lot of people out there, I don’t want them to hear us.”

Jester bit her lip, unbuttoning his coat completely and pushing it to the floor. “I’ll try... You know I’m not used to holding back...”

“I know, _meine Liebe_. And I love that.” He started kissing his way down her neck, mixing soft pecks with hard bites and slow licks that had her panting almost immediately. “If there wasn’t a party outside, I’d tell you to moan as loudly as you wanted.”

“I should just tell everyone to leave...” She giggled breathlessly. “But that wouldn’t be very Christmas-y of me. Plus, I kind of like the challenge...”

“ _Güt,_ then get up here.” He said, patting the top of her washing machine.

“What are you planning, Mr. Widogast?” She asked, even though she didn’t hesitate to jump up on the machine.

Caleb ran his hand slowly from her ankle up to the back of her knee and pushed her legs further apart. “Just finally showing you I deserve my A+.” He kneeled between her legs and pressed a tender kiss onto the inside of her thigh. “Is this okay, _Liebling_?”

“More than okay!” She said, putting one foot up on his shoulder, her skirt hiking all the way up to her hips.

Caleb let out a harsh exhale of laughter. “Jester... why aren’t you wearing underwear?”

She blushed, her cheeks growing redder by the second, even as she tried to shrug innocently. “Like I said, I _may_ have planned for this kind of situation...” She started to press her legs closed together but Caleb stopped her with a firm hand on her thigh.

“ _Nein_ , don’t hide, Blueberry. Be a good girl and keep them open for me.” He muttered, rubbing his thumb in slow circles across her plump flesh, reaching closer and closer to where she wanted him to be. Jester let out the softest moan and did as she was told, spreading herself for him. He could tell she was wet already, her cunt glistening for him. “But tell me, _Liebling_ , what would you have done if we never ended up here? Were you going to spend the entire party like this?”

He replaced his fingers with his mouth, kissing a path upwards and sucking a dark bruise just below her hip bone.

“I guess so...” She gasped, tangling her finger in his hair and making it all fall out of his neat low ponytail. “But I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist me all night. I can be _very_ persuasive Cayleb.”

“You’re incredible persuasive even when you aren’t trying, Blueberry... And, for once, I’m _very_ glad I gave in.”

He spread her open with his fingers and gave her a long, slow lick, reveling at the taste of her slick. He flicked her clit with the tip of his tongue and Jester let out a strangled moan, her thighs clenching around his head. Lavishing her with his tongue, he slipped two long fingers inside her, letting his other hand rest on top of her thigh, rubbing it gently to keep her grounded.

“Oh fuck, _Cayleb_...” She keened before she remembered she had to be quiet and grabbed something from the basket left on top of the dryer next to her to bite down on. Looking up, Caleb saw that it was the purple scarf he was wearing the day they met, the one he gave Beau to wash and never got back. The sight made him laugh, his tongue and fingers stopping for just a moment, before Jester gripped his hair tighter and let out a needy whine through the fabric.

“So impatient, my girl _._ ” He chuckled, curling his fingers inside her in that way he knew she loved. “Is this what you want?”

Jester threw her head back with a low moan and frantically ripped the scarf off her mouth to plead with him. “ _Yes!_ Please, please, _please_ don’t stop Cayleb! It’s so fucking good!”

“How can I say no to that? You look so pretty when you beg, _Schatz_.”

Jester mewled desperately, cheeks flushed from arousal and eyes shinning with _want_ in the dim light that came from under the laundry room’s door. “ _Please_ Cay, let me cum!”

With a smirk, he went back to lapping at her cunt, exchanging slow, teasing licks with quick, precise laps and sucking on her clit hard enough to make her squeal, his fingers moving faster now that he knew exactly what made her shudder and quake.

He knew she was close when she began pulling on his hair in earnest, pushing him hard against her and bucking her hips in a desperate search for climax. Caleb moaned at the sudden mix of pleasure and pain, the sound getting drowned out by her skin. His cock twitched in his pants, so painfully hard do to the intoxicating mix of Jester’s taste and smell and sound that he too was ready to beg for release. But this was not about his needs, it was all about Jester, so he pushed those thoughts away and focused on giving her everything she wanted.

With a final crook of his fingers and a flick of his tongue, he pushed her over the edge, her walls contracting around his fingers as a new wave of slick coated them. The scarf was back in place but he could still hear her panting and moaning, letting out muffled cries of his name and curses both in Common and in her mother tongue until there was nothing left but incoherent mumbling. He licked her through her orgasm, gently lapping at her overstimulated skin until she stopped shaking, and then removed his fingers and cleaned them one by one.

“Holly shit, Cayleb...” She sighed as he placed one last kiss on her thigh and stood up. She reached for him and pulled him by his shirt into a deep open mouthed kiss, her legs wrapping around his waist as her tongue explored his lazily. She tasted herself and moaned lustily into his mouth, making Caleb shiver with pleasure. “That was so fucking hot!”

He smiled, pushing a lock of sweat slicked hair behind her ear. “Does that mean I got my A+?”.

She giggled. “A++ and a smiley face sticker!”

“A sticker too?” He chuckled. “Be careful there, people will start saying you play favorites, Miss Lavorre.”

“Oh, but I do. I can’t help it when I have such a perfect teacher’s pet.” She said with a grin, running her hands up his chest and under the collar of his shirt. “Do you want your reward for being such an excellent student now?”

“Reward?” He swallowed hard, his dick throbbing at the thought.

“Yup.” She untangled her legs from around his waist and jumped down from the washing machine. Guiding him with a hand on his chest, she turned him around, pressing him against the machine as she began unbuttoning his pants.

“Jester, you don’t have to...” He muttered, even as his hips involuntarily bucked against her hands.

“But I want to. I really, _really_ do!” She said, licking her lips hungrily as she pulled his pants down to his knees.

He opened his mouth, probably to deliver another weak argument he didn’t really mean, but she palmed him through his boxers and his mind went blank. She went down on her knees and made quick work off his underwear, taking him in her hand and giving him one slow lick, all the way from the patch of auburn hair at the bottom of his shaft to his head, her tongue swirling to catch the precum pooling at the tip.

“ _Sheisse!”_ Caleb cursed, widening his stance to keep his balance as his whole body shuddered with pleasure. Just the sight of her, putting her mouth on him, would have been enough to finish him off in this state. But the way she moved her clever tongue was far too good for him to keep any semblance of self-control for long.

“Shhh, we have to be quiet, remember?” She teased, her hand beginning to stoke him as she playfully kissed his tip. “Just tap me on the shoulder if you’re about to cum, okay?”

“Jester...” He moaned quietly. She looked up at him innocently, before taking him in her mouth, bobbing her head to take in more and more of him until he could feel his head touch the back of her throat. “ _Oh mein Gott!”_

She moved slowly at first, but soon her movements began to pick up speed as Caleb fought to hold back moans and grunts of pleasure. Her mouth was hot and wet, her full lower lip dragging deliciously along the bottom of his shaft as her tongue swirled around him, her small hand keeping pace as it slid along his spit slick skin.

Caleb felt heat pool low in his gut and was about to tap her shoulder when there was an all together different tap. Someone was knocking at the door.

“Jester? Widogast?”Beau’s voice echoed from the hallway. “You in there?”

“Hmmhmm?” Jester hummed with his cock still in her mouth. Caleb tried to pull away but the vibration almost made him cum and he had to grip the edge of the washing machine to hold himself back.

“What do you want, Beauregard?” He shouted through gritted teeth. “We’re a little busy, you know?”

“Oh, I’m perfectly aware you f-” Her last angry words were muffled and he heard another person’s footsteps approach the door.

“Hey Caleb, Jester! It’s Yasha.” She said awkwardly. “I’m sorry to bother you but Jester’s father is here...”

Jester pulled away with an obscene wet _pop_ and Caleb almost screamed in pain from the sudden lack of contact.

“I’ll be right there! Tell him to try the eggnog and wait in the living room.”

“Aaaalright...” Beau called out.

They both stood in silence, listening to their footsteps fade until they were fully drowned out by the music.

Caleb sighed. “I guess we better straighten up before we leave...”

“What are you talking about? We’re not done yet!” Jester scoffed, taking him in her hand and beginning to stroke again.

“But-” He grunted. “But what about your father?”

She shrugged. “He can wait. You’re my priority right now.” She gave him another one of her slow, tantalizing licks and Caleb bit into his lip to stop himself from keening. “Stop worrying, Cayleb. Just enjoy.”

She started sucking him off again and he went silent, leaning back against the washing machine as she brought him back to the edge once more. As he felt climax approaching, he tapped her shoulder gently but, although her eyes raised to meet his, she didn’t pull away, she picked up speed instead.

“Jester stop, I’m going to-” He cried out as she took him in all the way to the hilt and he came down her throat, the tight, wet, heat of her mouth milking him dry. “Oh _fuuuuck_...”

She waited until his body stopped twitching and he softened in her mouth before pulling away, a great big smile on her face.

“ _Now_ we can straighten up.” She said, getting back up and brushing down her dress.

“ _Ja_... Just a moment.” He mumbled, slowly pulling his pant back up. “That was a lot, I need a second to recover.”

She laughed, helping him with his buttons. “A lot of good, I hope.”

“A lot of great. You’re amazing Jester Lavorre. How did I get so lucky?” He brushed her hair with his fingers, making sure she looked as put together as she had before they left the party. Besides a pair of reddened knees and slightly swollen lips, she was perfect.

“If you continue sweet talking me we’ll never leave this room.” She whispered in his ear.

“Don’t tempt me... Gods, I can’t believe I’m meeting your father after this!” He sighed, giving her a small peck and fighting the will to start making out with her again.

“Well... You don’t _have_ to...” She bit her lip. “I just wanted my dad to meet my boyfriend.”

 _“Nein,_ that’s not it. I do want to meet him.” He said quickly. “But I want to make a good impression, okay?... Do I look alright?”

She grinned. “Not really. Your hair is a mess. But it looks super hot.”

“I don’t think your dad will be impressed by my messy hair...”

“Probably not, let me fix that.” She found his hair tie on the floor and fixed his ponytail with quick, efficient fingers. Then she grabbed the purple scarf and draped it around his neck. “Done, you’re perfect now.”

“I highly doubt that, but I guess it’ll do.” He sighed and put his jacket back on.

“Alright, I’ll leave now, you wait five minutes and then meet us in the living room.” She opened the door but, before she left, she turned around and gave him one final kiss. “Don’t worry Cayleb, I’m sure he’ll lo- _like_ you as much as I do!”

This time, Caleb was aware enough to notice her slip. Before he could answer, though, she ran off, shutting the door behind her and leaving him alone in the dark, mouth agape and heart thundering in his chest.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys... this is the end! I finished a Christmas fic in almost June! Sometimes even I surprise myself with my own levels of procrastination, but my new job and the whole Rona situation haven't helped one bit. Anyways, I'm glad this is done and that you came on this ride with me. I hope you enjoy the last chapter ;)  
> Kudos and Comments are always apreciated, see ya on the next one!

Exactly five minutes later, when Caleb opened the laundry room’s door and walked out, his mind and his heart were still racing.

Was that just an innocent slip or had Jester actually implied that she _loved_ him? Did she just say it in the same innocent way she told him she _loved_ Beau _,_ or his cat, or cupcakes? Or was she actually _in love_ with him? And, if it was that second option, could he honestly say he loved her back after only being together for a couple of days? _Yes. Yes, he absolutely could._ The words immediately flooded his mind and almost spilled from his lips. He wasn’t usually a man of many certainties, but he was sure that he was completely, utterly, uselessly, in love with Jester Lavorre.

He was still considering her words by the time he got to the living room and saw her standing by the Christmas tree with a man in an expensive looking suit, with shoulder length dark hair and a neatly trimmed goatee. He approached slowly, trying to awkwardly catch her eye so she could introduce him before he had to do it himself. Jester’s father noticed him first, however, and raised a curious eyebrow, eyeing him with cunning eyes that were so similar to his daughter’s, yet much colder.

“Can I help you, young man?” He asked smoothly, gesturing towards him with a mug full of eggnog in hand.

Jester finally turned around and, lacing her arm through his, pushed him forward towards her father. “Dad, this is my boyfriend, Cayleb Widogast.”

“I-it is a pleasure to me meet you, Mr. Lavorre.” He stuttered, extending his hand to shake his. Jester’s father had a surprisingly firm grip, his palm was startlingly cold and a little clammy but he held Caleb’s hand so hard it was almost painful.

“It’s Mr. Dosal, actually. But you can call me The Gentleman.”

“My apologies, Mr... Gentleman.”

He smirked, eyeing Caleb like a buyer inspecting a new car, looking for chips in the paint and problems under the hood. It was almost impossible not to avert his eyes under the weight of all that scrutiny but Caleb tried his hardest to show no weakness.

“Dad, be nice!” Jester hissed, standing between them to effectively end their staring contest.

“Jester, I’m the picture of niceness!” The Gentleman said smoothly, patting the top of Jester’s head. Then he took a long swig of his drink and presented Jester with his now empty mug. “Darling, will you please bring me some more of this wonderful eggnog while me and Mr. Widogast get to know each other a little better?”

Jester looked worriedly between them, slitting her eyes at her father’s deceivingly pleasant smile, before she let out a big sigh and accepted his mug.

“Alright. But I’ll be right back!” She gave Caleb’s arm a tight squeeze and lifted herself on the tips of her toes to kiss him on the cheek. “Don’t let him get to you. He’s a big softie on the inside.” She whispered in his ear, before leaving in a rush.

The Gentleman laughed dryly. “My daughter seems quite taken with you, Mr. Widogast.”

Caleb felt his cheeks redden. “And I’m quite taken with her, sir.”

He nodded. “You should be. She’s a special one, Jester. She got her mother’s looks and her father’s wit... but not our jaded hearts. I’d like her to stay that way.” He leaned in closer and Caleb adjusted his posture, his back muscles tense. “I don’t know how much she told you about my... line of work, but let’s just say I’m well connected with some very dangerous individuals. If you ever hurt my daughter... if I ever even get an inkling that she is unhappy with you, all it will take is a phone call for me to make sure you’re gone from her life. Permanently. Are we understood?”

Caleb swallowed loudly. “Crystal clear, sir.”

“Wonderful.” He smiled and slapped him on the back. “Now that all that unpleasantness is out of the way... is that a Zemnian accent I hear, boy?”

“Hmmm, _ja._ I was born and raised in the Zemni Fields, sir.”

“Fantastic! You know, I have some dealings in Rexxentrum and having someone in my company who is familiar with the language and the culture could be very helpful.” Despite the Winter chill, the Gentleman’s forehead glistened with sweat and he took out a blue handkerchief out of his breast pocket to wipe it away. “Have you ever thought about a career in the... importation and exportation of... rare goods?”

Caleb stammered, looking for a way to gently turn down this clearly very illegal job offering without making his girlfriend’s father mad. Fortunately, before he could say anything potentially disastrous, Jester returned with the eggnog.

“Caleb’s too busy for that, dad. He’s going to be a College Professor, some day. He’s, like, an amazing teacher!” She gushed, handing her father the mug. Then she returned to Caleb’s side and winked shamelessly at him. Caleb felt his face go bright red.

“Is that so?” The Gentleman asked, nonchalantly checking his phone and sipping his drink, like he hadn’t seen anything.

“That is the plan, _ja._ I still have to get my Phd, of course...” Caleb mumbled.

“Well, in the meantime, if you have some bills that need paying, you know who to call.” Jester’s father smiled. “But, speaking of work, I need to return to mine.”

“Already?” Jester pouted. “You’ve just arrived!”

“I know dear, but business calls.” He pulled an envelope out of his pants’ font pocket. “Here, take this. Merry Christmas, Jester.”

“What is it?” She asked before even opening the envelope.

“Two tickets to Nicodranas, so we can both go see your mother in the Summer.”

Jester squealed and immediately ran to her father, wrapping her arms around his waist in a tight hug, which he reciprocated by awkwardly patting her back. “Oh my Gods, this is amazing! She’s going to be so happy to see you, dad!”

“I don’t know about that...” For the first time, Caleb watched a little bit of the Gentleman’s composure slip. He looked honestly unsure, even a bit nervous. “Anyway... It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Widogast. And I’ll see you later, sweetheart.”

“See ya, dad. Merry Christmas!” Jester shouted after him as he walked out. Caleb took a deep breath, the deepest he had taken since leaving the laundry room.

“Well, that went better than expected!” Jester said, a great, big smile on her face.

“ _Ja._ He threatened to get me killed but he also offered me a job, so I guess it evens out.”

“He did _what_?” Jester cried out, her smile gone.

“I’m sure he was joking...” Caleb said, even though he 100% didn’t believe it.

“I’m so sorry! Are you freaked out?” She started biting the candy apple red nail on her thumb. “Duh, of course you are! You’re probably looking for the door as we speak...”

Caleb wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead softly. “I’m not going anywhere, Blueberry. It will take more than your dad’s threats to scare me away.”

Jester sighed in his arms and buried her face in his chest. “Thank the Gods because I’m pretty sure he’s going to do it again... It’s how he shows he cares. On my birthday he asked if I wanted my landlord to disappear... Beau wouldn’t let me say yes, though.”

Caleb laughed and just held her for a moment as he gathered up the courage to talk to her about her sudden use of the L word. “So... I think we should talk about about something you said. Back when we were in the laundry room...”

Jester froze in his arms. “What do you mean?”

He immediately regretted saying anything but it was too late now. She had clearly not meant what she had said, so much so that she didn’t even seem to remember saying it. He was just making more of a fool of himself by bringing it up. “It’s nothing really... When you were leaving you-”

Just then, Beau’s voice rang through the room, loud and drunkenly boisterous and Caleb almost sighed with relief, he had never been more happy to hear her. “Gather up guys, it’s time for dinner!” 

“Oh, we should go, _ja_?” He asked, incredibly thankful for the easy out Beau had just provided him. He took her hand and began gently pulling her back towards the kitchen. “I’m starving!”

Jester dragged her feet, stopping him. “Wait, Cayleb! What were you saying?”

“Never mind, Blueberry. It isn’t important. We can talk about it later.”

“Really? You sounded pretty serious...”

“Don’t worry about it, _Liebling._ ” Caleb turned back around and kissed her hard and fast, leaving her breathless and giddy.

“Oh wow! You really are hungry, aren’t you?” She giggled, tracing a finger up his arm.

“Ravenous.” Caleb laughed. He felt a twinge of guilt over using a kiss to distract her but, if that was what it took to not have Jester laugh in his face for daring to think she was in love with him, he would take it.

She got up on the tips of her toes and leaned in close to whisper in his ear. “If you’re a good boy and finish your dinner, maybe I can give you some desert once everyone leaves...”

“Can’t wait, _Schatz_.”

By the time they got to the dinner table, everyone else was already seated but Beau had made sure to keep two chairs next to hers empty for them. With Yasha’s help, she carved the Christmas ham, while Jester helped her friend Caduceus, a lanky guy with long pink hair and serious stoner vibes, pass around plates full of vegan options. Caleb made sure to try it all and not a single thing was less than absolutely delicious.

During the entire dinner, Jester kept catching his eye and giving him sweet smiles or giggling bashfully. Sometimes her hand would find his under the table and she would give him a reassuring squeeze or pat his thigh gently and Caleb would melt. Even though he was at a public event, surrounded by a lot more strangers than he usually felt comfortable being around, he didn’t feel his anxiety spike because she was with him, she kept him grounded.

It had been a very long time since he had felt this happy and, even though he was not a religious man, he sent a prayer of thanks out to whoever was listening, that his path and Jester’s had ever crossed. He marveled at how easy things were between them and how much that reminded him of the way his own parents used to act around each other. It was passion and sweetness and care, in a way his past relationship could have never even come close to being, there was no drama or shouting matches or wondering if you were only together because of your shared trauma. At one time he’d thought that was all he’d ever have, all he deserved. A broken, toxic love affair for a broken, toxic man. And that was over and there was nothing but loneliness and Caleb couldn’t honestly tell if that was better or worse. But to go from there to this bliss? It was truly a miracle, one he didn’t know if he was worthy of, but was very thankful for.

Once the meal was over, some of Beau and Jester’s friends started to leave, while others moved back to the living room where they had drinks and created a makeshift dance floor in front of the fireplace. Caleb helped Jester tidy the kitchen up some, even though she refused to let him do dishes at her party. As soon as he offered, she quickly pushed him away from the sink and back towards the living room.

“None of that, you’re here to have fun!” She scolded him, taking the dish towel out of his hands.

“It’s no problem. I want to help.”

“I don’t need help. Because I’m not cleaning the dishes either.” She put her hands on her hips. “That’s future Jester’s problem.”

Caleb laughed. “Okay, then what do you want to do?”

She thought about it for a second, her eyes drifting over to where her friend Mollymauk was trying to teach Yasha some odd dance. Her face bloomed into the most beautiful of smiles. “That. Do you know how to dance?”

“Not like that, no.” Caleb frowned, examining the intricate hand motions Mollymauk was doing and the way his hips moved with surprising flexibility.

“To be fair, no one can dance like that, except Molly.” Jester giggled. “But can you do like... the regular ‘boy in the club’ dances?”

“What would that entail? I’m not the biggest club goer.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“You don’t say!” She teased. “It’s mostly just swaying and some of...this.” She bit her lip, ran her hand through her hair and then did something akin to punching the air, all while stepping from side to side.

“Ooooh that... _ja_ , sure!” Caleb mumbled, trying awkwardly to do the side stepping. He was pretty sure he looked like a tall, gangly penguin and Jester’s barely contained laughter confirmed his suspicions.“I... alright, _nein._ I can’t do that. The only dance I really know is the waltz.”

She stopped her swaying and just stared at him with a small smile. “You can waltz? Really? Where did you learn that?”

“...Private school. Back in the Zemni Fields. We had a very eclectic curriculum.” He muttered.

“You really are a story book prince, aren’t you, Cayleb Widogast?” She shook her head and sighed and Caleb felt himself blush from head to toe. “How did I get so lucky?”

“I’m the lucky one, _Liebling._ ” He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

“Waltz with me, Cayleb!” She said, burying her face against his chest. “I mean... I don’t really know how to... but I’ve watched people doing it in the movies and it doesn’t seem that hard. I’m sure I can learn it. If you’re willing to teach me, of course.”

“I’d be happy to.” He smiled down at her fondly. “But I’m afraid this isn’t quite the right type of music for waltzing...”

“Shhh, ignore that. We can make our own music.” She grabbed his hand and started humming the slow, gentle rhythm of a waltz and Caleb felt his heart swell with so much affection he could hardly speak. So he didn’t, he just put his other hand on the middle of her back and started guiding her through the steps.

They didn’t join her friends on the dance floor, instead they made their way up and down the hallway, to their own made up song, Caleb joining in on the humming. As always, Jester was surprisingly easy to teach and, soon enough, she was following him like a pro, her steps light and graceful.

“Alright, do you think you’re ready for a spin?” He asked her as they waltz their way around the corner, going in the direction of the bathroom.

“ _So_ ready!” She giggled.

He dropped the hand at the center of her back and spun her out, letting her twirl once, twice, three times, before he pulled her back in. She crashed against his chest, her face red with laughter and her eyes shinning as bright as stars, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He held her close, his hands completely forgoing the proper waltz positions to grab her waist instead, and kissed her slowly and sweetly.

“Let’s go to my room.” Jester whispered against his lips.

“Yes, ma’am.” 

Hand in hand, she guided him up to that pretty pink door and pushed him in. They were making out before the door had time to slam closed behind them, aggressively pulling each other’s clothes off. Jester threw his coat on the floor and started unbuttoning his shirt between kisses. She quickly grew frustrated with the tiny mother of pearl buttons and yanked the shirt open, causing several of them to fall off.

As the tiny white buttons hit the ground, bouncing around on the hardwood floor, Jester realized how much strength she had used and looked up at him, guilt and desire mixed in her eyes.

“I’m sorry...” She whispered, worrying at her bottom lip.

“Don’t worry about it.” Caleb laughed. Despite it being his favourite shirt, he couldn’t bring himself to care at the moment.

“I can totally sew them back on later.” Her hands were not on his chest anymore but wringing the fur covered hem of her dress and Caleb was dying to fix that. “I’m a really good seamstress.”

“Jester, stop. I don’t care about anything besides getting you in that bed and under me. Immediately.”

Jester grinned, her cheeks flushed. “You know, you’re really cute when you’re bossy.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow. “Cute?”

“Yes, Cayleb, cute. Sexy. Hot.” She rose up on the tips of her toes to whisper in his ear. “Bossy Cayleb makes me really wet...”

“ _Sheisse..._ ” He cursed, his cock throbbing in his pants, painfully hard for the second time that day. “You’re going to make me lose my mind, woman. Get in that bed, right now!”

Giggling, she jumped backwards onto her bed and kicked her heels off. Caleb let what was left of his ruined shirt fall to the floor and followed her to the bed, setting himself between her open legs.

“I think you’re wearing way too many clothes, Miss Lavorre.” He said, bending down to suck a dark bruise in the crook of her neck.

“I think we’re even, actually.” She gasped, leaning to the side to expose more of her neck to his wanting lips. “You don’t have your shirt anymore, but I still don’t have any panties on.”

“Thank you for the reminder.”

His hand trailed down her body and under the hem of her dress, climbing steadily up the inside of one smooth thigh. Jester spread her legs further, eagerly awaiting his touch, but Caleb didn’t give it to her right away, taking his time to rub teasing little circles on the inside of her tight instead, getting closer and closer but not quite close enough. Jester whined impatiently, canting her hips to try and get any sort of friction.

“Stop teasing me!” She cried out, pouting adorably. 

“I thought that was what you wanted, _Liebling._ Sinceyou keep teasing _me._ ” He ran his fingers over the soft patch of curls between her thighs, trailing down to just barely touch her clit and Jester groaned.

“Please Cayleb, _please_!” She pleaded.

Caleb chuckled, running his finger down her wet heat. “Tell me what you _really_ want, _Schatz._ ”

“ _That_!” She moaned. “Just touch me, baby!”

He leaned in close, burring his face in her hair and bit her ear lobe gently. “Take that dress off. I want to see every beautiful inch of your body tremble when I make you cum again.”

Jester’s eyes widened in surprise at how easily he slipped into the commanding role she wanted, her pupils blown wide with lust. Caleb was a little surprised as well but he couldn’t deny he was enjoying himself immensely. Specially when she nodded eagerly and started clawing at her dress and eagerly pulling it over her head, leaving her in just a lacy red bra.

“This too?” She asked, reaching behind her to unhook it.

“ _Nein_.” He stopped her with a feather light kiss on her neck. “I want to have that pleasure myself.”

Caleb slipped two fingers inside her wet cunt, while his thumb rubbed her clit in slow gentle circles and Jester threw her head back against her pillow, sighing happily. He kissed his way down her chest and used his free hand to unhook her bra, letting it fall down her arms until her breasts were bare. He circled one nipple with his tongue before taking it into his mouth, forcing a strangled cry of pleasure out of Jester’s parted lips. He rolled the other one between his fingers, pinching it in time with the movements of his lips and tongue.

Jester was moaning in earnest now, loud enough that he didn’t know if the music in the living room would drown it out, but he didn’t care, they were the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard. She looked stunning, her body glowing with a light layer of sweat as she bucked her hips, riding his hand in search of her orgasm. Never pausing the motion of his fingers, both on her breast and inside her, Caleb moved up to capture her mouth in a hot, open mouthed kiss, their tongues gliding almost competitively against each other, fighting for dominance, until they were both breathless.

“More?” He asked her once they broke apart for air. He could tell she was very close, dripping down his knuckles, her cunt contracting around his fingers in a way that made his cock painfully eager to take their place.

“ _Please_... Cayleb, I need you inside me right now!” She keened.

“Now? Are you sure?” She nodded.

Not needing to be told twice, he pulled his fingers out, rushed to get his pants and underwear off and put on a condom he had fortunately remembered to bring. He entered her slowly, giving her time to adjust to the stretch, even though he was dying to thrust his hips and feel her velvet heat all around him. Taking advantage of how flexible he had found Jester to be, he lifted one of her legs up to his shoulder and, bit by bit, slid all the way in.

“Holly shit, that feels so good!” She keened as he bottomed out inside her.

“Are you going to to be a good girl and cum around my cock, _Liebling_?” He groaned. The dirty words were so unlike him but they flowed out of his lips effortlessly, like they belonged on his tongue. Jester’s answering moan was all the approval he needed and, as she grabbed his shoulders to better thrust up into him, their chests pressed together, Caleb could have sworn he had died and gone to heaven. His vision went white and all he could feel was her perfect body, all he could hear was her wrecked, breathless voice, all he could smell was her perfume and the sweat of their bodies. It was Heaven and he didn’t deserve it.

Jester buried her face in the crook of his neck, her breath coming in fast pants against his skin. Caleb reached between then and began rubbing her clit again and she cried out, her thighs shaking as he brought her closer and closer to climax.

“Oh _fuck,_ Cayleb I lov-” She bit his shoulder to shut herself up and Caleb froze, his fingers and his hips stopping so suddenly Jester practically sobbed.

“Nooo... Don’t stop!” She whined.

“Jester...” He whispered, trying to move his shoulder so he could see her. She kept hiding, covering her face with her hair and his. “Jester, do you mean it? What you said now, is it a heat of the moment thing or do you actually mean it?”

“I...I just-”

“Jester, look at me. _Please_.” He said.

She slowly pulled away. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shinny and Caleb couldn’t tell if it was just frustration from how close she had been to cuming, or if she was actually near tears.

“Y-yeah...” She nodded. “I mean it. I’ve meant it every time. I’ve been trying not to say it because I know it’s too soon but I really am in love with you... It’s okay if you don’t want to say it back, I know I’m being weird and-”

Caleb quieted her down with a kiss, his lips hot and aggressive in their need. “ _Nein,_ you’re not. If you mean it, never be afraid to say it. Because I love you too, Jester Lavorre.”

Jester’s eyes welled up with tears but she smiled at him and his heart skipped a beat in his chest, too overwhelmed to even process what he was feeling. He had said the words before, mostly because he had been young and felt pressured when the person he was with said it first. This was different, this felt real.

He kissed her jaw and then her neck and chest, whispering about how much he loved her, both in Common and Zemnian as they started to move against each other again. It didn’t take long until Jester was climaxing again, nails digging into his back as she cried out his name, Caleb followed soon after, pushed over the edge by the way she shivered and pulsed around him.

They ended up tangled up on the bed, spent and sweaty and blissfully happy in each other’s arms. Jester put her head on his chest and threw her arm around his middle, keeping him close and, once they started to cool off, Caleb grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around them. He was so comfortable with her in his arms it was hard for him to keep his eyes open.

“So, was that what you wanted to talk to me about before dinner?” She asked after a while.

“What?” He mumbled, his mind still foggy with sleep.

“The ‘I love you’ thing.” She said, playing with his chest hair.

“ _Ja_ , it was.”

“But you said it wasn’t important...” She smirked mischievously.

“You were acting like you didn’t know what I was talking about and I thought you were going to deny everything...” He started to stutter and blush violently.

“So you were just going to avoid the subject forever?” She laughed.

“Not forever...” He shrugged. “We did end up talking about it eventually, didn’t we?”

“You’re ridiculous, Cayleb Widogast.” She gave him a sweet peck on the lips. “But I love you... Gods, it feels so good to able to say that! You’re the best Christmas gift I could have asked for.”

“Speaking of which... I know we didn’t talk about it, but I got you something.” He reached down to the floor where he had left his coat and fished a small blue box out of his pocket. He handed it to over to Jester who opened it slowly, revealing a necklace with a silver blueberry shaped charm. She gasped and immediately asked him to put it on her.

“Right now? You’re not wearing any clothes.” He said, even though he was already lifting her hair out of the nape of her neck to tie the clasp.

“I don’t need anything else.” The charm hung right between her breasts, shinning over her freckled skin. Caleb had to admit she was right, she really did look perfect just like that. “Oh Cay, it’s so beautiful. Thank you, I love it!”

“Not as beautiful as you, _Schatz._ ”

She bit her lip, twiddling her thumbs awkwardly. “Soooo... here’s the thing-”

“It’s okay if you don’t have anything to give me.” He interrupted her. “We didn’t agree to do this.”

“No, that’s not it. I do have something for you... but it’s something I made and it’s a little weird...”

“I’m sure I’ll like it anyway.” He said, kissing her shoulder.

She gave him an unsure smile and hopped off the bed in all her naked glory. She reached behind her desk and took out a large canvass but kept it turned towards her so he couldn’t see.

“Remember that conversation we had about the rain and portals to other worlds? That night, when you left, I started painting this...”

She finally turned it around and Caleb could see it was a painting of the two of them, walking in the rain, hand in hand. Beneath their feet, in the glistening puddles was a reflected version of them in a magical world, he was a wizard in a billowing coat, casting beautiful lights around them, and Jester was a blue skinned, horned goddess, with a long spaded tail. For a long while, all Caleb could do was stare, finding more and more wonderful details in the painting, he was speechless.

“You started the day we met?”

“Yeah...” She sat back down on the bed. “I couldn’t stop thinking about our conversation and magic and... you.”

He crawled across the bed to get to her and took her in his arms, kissing her like ti was the last thing he would ever do. “There was a time in my life where I didn’t think it was possible for me to love anymore. That changed the day I met you and you keep making me fall for you over and over again, Jester. I don’t know how you do it, but I don’t want you to stop.”

She smiled shyly. “Does that mean you like it?”

“That means I love it. And I love you.” He pulled her back down until they were snuggling under the sheets again and, soon enough, sleep started to pull him under. “Merry Christmas, Blueberry.”

Jester yawned against his chest, and looked up at the sprig of mistletoe still tied to the headboard above them with a sleepy smile. “The merriest, Cayleb.”


End file.
